Hexes Go Well with Tequila

The Lost Souls #1

by LeAnna Ehrsam

From the moment Ursula Cambridge, a 38-year-old woman from the Midwest, realizes she's become invisible in her life and relationship, she and her Irish Wolfhound, Casper get a magical invitation to live in The Lost Souls House in Salem, Massachusetts. 

There, she finds herself immersed in a magical town, living in a house with a graveyard that hosts the lost souls, one of Salem's mysteries that keeps the town and tourists guessing, and some would do anything to keep their dark origin a mystery. 

As she struggles to find her footing in this town, four women come around her, showing her the importance of community, friendship, and magical camaraderie when they wake up with more than margarita hangovers and find that their playful graveyard hexes worked.  

When Ursula bumps into the town bachelor who is rumored to be cursed, she tries to steer clear of his unreasonably grumpy disposition but finds herself drawn to his surly, yet vulnerable, teenage niece Bess, who forms an attachment to Ursula.

Thrown into the middle of a modern-day witch hunt, Ursula has to navigate a mysterious world of magic and mystery, political warfare, and passionate tension with the man who has sworn off women, who bears a striking resemblance to the paper towel Brawny Man. Hexes Go Well With Tequila will bring you on a whimsical journey of found family, and found self, uncovering a centuries-old mystery of ten lost souls and fighting for invisible women.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Cozy, Witches, Audiobook, Paranormal

374 pages, Paperback

Published September 24, 2024

Reviews

[JC Helf]

Maybe I'm being harsh, but I thought this was super disappointing, and the writing honestly wasn't good. Long run on sentences that were genuinely difficult to follow. Using pronouns instead of names which was really confusing.

[Path.Through.Pages]

I genuinely loved this book!

There are only a couple of things I hold issues with, which I will go into, but regardless of that, i think this is an amazing story that I 100% recommend! So let's get into it!

The Good:

This book felt like equal parts, Rachel Harrison's Cackle and Alix E. Harrow's The Once and Future Wishes mixed with an attempted sprinkle of the Pumpkin Spice Cafe.

The sisterhood, the new beginnings, the found family, the emphasis on friendship, love, pain, fear, and the beautifully damaging struggle that is being a woman. There were parts that made me genuinely feel, and for that, the story was spectacular! The political elements were also a bit on the nose for our current climate, which I think put me on edge more than normal 😅
The magic was delightful, and it brought back such deep and profound connections to the women of our past. It somehow managed to remind you of the importance of the female community while bringing you back to yourself as a person and the importance of being seen.

Also, the main FMC was vocally childfree by choice, BUT all of the women in her circle had their own stories. Childlessness, pregnancy loss, dreams of adoption, it beautifully summarized that no matter what choices we make, they should be honored by ourselves and others and we are still women, and whole, regardless of which choice we make.

Absolutely amazing!

The Cons

This first one is super minor, which could have been corrected with easy editing. Basically, there were scene changes without page breaks, which caused my brain to skip a bit and have to recenter myself in the scene, but again, that's no biggy.

Where I did struggle was with the romance subplot. The author writes the bad men SO WELL, as if she knew enough of them to write them perfectly (i mean... don't we all?) But when it came to writing a good man, there was a disconnect. The last chapter with him was beautiful, but leading up to that, it was almost like she just... knew what a good man was in theory.
The dialogue at times felt off, and the physical interactions kept feeling predatory. Especially considering the FMCs character development, his approach should have completely put her off and sent up red flags. Even with the whole curse thing, it never felt comfortable or safe (at least not until the very end).

Honestly, the main story was so rich that I feel like we could have left the whole romamce subplot out and focused on independence and sisterhood.

This is a super small part of the book so I still recommend reading it!

P.s. no MC pregnancy tropes

[Leo]

Got the audiobook for review on Netgally.

I had a lot of fun with the book, enjoyed the close knit friendship and female support, a big adorable dog and a surprisingly spicy romance. It read a lot like a cozy mystery so didn't expect it to have spice scenes but it was a fun suprise. Its as much about social issues, like feminism as it is about friendship and romance. Enjoyed it enough that I want to read the next book

[Ammie]

4.5/⭐️ 1/🌶️ I received an early copy of this novel. It came just in time for summer ending and fall beginning in just a month. This reminded me of Practical Magic meets Sweet Magnolia and I so enjoyed it.

The FMC is in her late 30’s and I really enjoyed that aspect of it. It was funny yet had deep elements to it. As a childfree woman by choice I appreciated a particular excerpt from the story that I think many could relate to. Not just someone childfree by choice but so many variations of women going through this phase in their life. It showed all different women how each one had different feelings towards parenthood. It is extremely rare to see all the variations of choices women could make and it was very relatable. I found the connections between the friends so fun to read and the MMC was broody along with delicious.

The spice was a pleasant surprise I was not expecting at all! But always welcome for me in books. The only element that kept it from being a 5 star for me personally was the beginning the pacing was slow. When it picked up though it picked up and I finished it quickly soon after. I do recommend this- it will be coming out September 24th. Happy reading!

[Janelle]

I wanted to like this book, but it just didn't hit the mark for me. It's written in a very juvenile way, with all the foreshadowing just telling you what was coming. If it was 60% less feminist therapy, and 100% more witchy mystery, it would be more enjoyable.

[Gayle]

I thought I'd work in a light, fun novel for a palate cleanser. I DNFed this one. A 38 year-old woman calls a man "Jerkface?" Seriously? 👎

[Cin]

There’s a serious issue with overuse of adjectives in this book. I’m not saying there was AI use, but the constant embellishment of literally everything makes it feel like there was. It is unnecessary and weakens the story. It’s disappointing, especially since I had high hopes for it

[Janet Guzman]

Omg this audio was awesome!!! Loved the woman love and the hot grump and all the magic!!!! Need the next book asap

[✨EJ✨]

tl;dr: This was a train wreck, but I read it to the end!

There were several grammatical errors and typos. Many portions or even full chapters read like it was dictated and transcribed rather than actually written. Ms Ehrsam, may I suggest you retain an experienced editor? (Minus one star.)

Ok, so the beginning was very slow and I found the whole setup for “magic is real but I’m a sophisticated city girl and this can’t really be happening, can it?” shenanigans to be too drawn out and unnecessary. We could’ve started at The Lost Souls house and everything beforehand be a quick flashback/thought bubble. (Minus one star.)

Also, I found Jessica thoroughly suspicious 🤨 Why did it take Ursula so long (until chapter 20!) to figure her out?! Correction: Ursula didn’t figure it out, Bess told her 🙄 This was a train wreck of a story. Pacing needs work. Overall, I was intrigued and overlooked all the grammatical and typographical errors because I was hoping for a good story! (Minus one star.)

[Samantha Peirce]

Hexes Go Well with Tequila feels like the warmest, coziest hug wrapped in laughter, sisterhood, and just the right splash of magic! If you’re someone who believes in lifting up others, rooting for a better world, and empowering women to be unapologetically themselves, then buckle up, because this book is calling your name!

I lost count of how many times I laughed out loud, and yes, I definitely found myself raging at some parts—it's that kind of rollercoaster, and I loved every second. This stunning debut from Ehrsam captures the struggles and triumphs women face when they dare to shake off society’s limitations. It’s a heartfelt reminder that no woman should ever shrink herself to fit anyone else’s mold. The sisterhood in this story isn’t perfect (and thank goodness for that!), but it shows how women can grow stronger together, and it left me wishing I could be part of The Lost Souls House myself. Oh, and let's not forget the steamy, swoon-worthy Brawny Man. I mean, can we get more of that, please?

I’m already packing my bags and hoping for an invite to this magical world—because let’s face it, we all need more of this kind of adventure in our lives. I’m counting down the days until LeAnna takes us back to Salem for the next wild ride!

Here are a few of my favorite quotes because, honestly, I couldn't stop highlighting:
“Her words were bold and unwavering, not meant to make them uncomfortable, but not holding back truth.”

“The world and the magic inside of it knows this secret: women who shed their insecurities and fears, stepping out of them like unwanted clothes, are dangerous. And if those women found each other and grasped hands, the naked truth of being human, embracing their power as women… that was more than dangerous. It was possibly catastrophic.”

“It felt like magic, the kind made by humans letting go of control and fear together.”

[Jaden]

The first half of this book felt so promising with the magical house and the friendships but then it felt so blah blah blah. I am glad I finished tho cause the ending made me so happy 🥹

[Squirrel]

Want to read and enjoy this, but the writing style gets in the way.

From the start the MC comes off as immature and irresponsible, a middle-aged child.

The story is meant to be light and frivolous, but the tone is off, flowery, breathless-young-girl, with a MC repeatedly described as 'almost 40'. The writing is distracting, a fairy-tale approach without the skill to pull it off. "Unfolding her cramped body from the car was a relief." Begging the question, how large is this woman? The car has already been described as an SUV with a specimen of the World's largest dog breed belted into the front seat. How big do you have to be to feel cramped in an SUV? And if she needed a stretch, didn't she stop at all, let the dog out? Those thoughts don't add to the story, so why write it to raise the questions?

So much of the writing is wrong, it begs the question of an AI author. "the most perfectly wrapped, wide porch" ... wrapped with what? what makes the 'wrap' perfect? There aren't gaps? The carpenter was able to follow the walls around? Did she mean wraparound porch?

How is she driving in the woods in the dark with lights "bobbing" and "zig-zagging" and doesn't drive into a tree with the distraction?

You gotta love this though, a woman who doesn't trust GPS follows a voice out of nowhere, while she's driving along.

Logical errors, excessive anthropomorphizing, and endless asides further distract from the tale.

Whenever the Midwest decided to let Autumn to enter its bounds, which was far into the year, and just for a short blip until winter came swooping in to take over the show, she and Casper did it up.

"Whenever"? Casper is a 2-year-old dog, he's had at most two Autumns. And as an Irish Wolfhound, a 'giant' dog breed, Casper would still be a half-grown puppy, bouncing around all energy and paws.
The author goes on and on about the dog and their shared annual activities, "someone always..." - Is this a colloquialism? Twice at most for a 2-year-old dog. And if she took a giant puppy on a hay ride the first year, she'd risk damaging his growth plates with one good jolt or toss. Easy to wish harm on this MC, or the author for spreading bad information. Giant dogs are quite vulnerable the first 2-3 years of development. (There is good reason hikers might see a wolf in the woods, but not the pups.)

She remembered that the town pressed itself against a harbor that led itself out to the ocean as the wind ribboned its way through the car windows,

So the town has volition, the harbor has volition, the wind is an entity also, but the car is just an object? (That would have been the easy one, "the car's windows".) The last phrase, 'the car windows' highlights the awkwardness of the other clauses. The style begs the question, magical town, or weak editing?
Which is a problem as it provides extreme distraction from the story.

...because for some inexplicable reason, she never quite believed the GPS at all times. Which is why...

So by the start of Chapter Two, the reader is already thinking the MC did the husband a huge favor by releasing him from his commitment to her! She doesn't trust the GPS, but doesn't use a map? She's missing her 'coppery-haired friend'. Her -nameless- friend? But she doesn't call her. (Of course not, she's forgotten her name.)
The husband is tolerating a giant puppy in the house, no complaints, and a woman who will leave because of fancy spam letter? She has an unfulfilling life so she just walks away. Sounds like he gives her space and she interprets it as apathy. This is supposed to be 'modern day' - couples therapy often works well to help communication. But going does require a level of maturity.


If only the writing fit the ideas, if only the simple facts made sense. Instead, its like someone wrote sentences for an grade-school English class, then looked for places to use them. "a woman of absolute beauty ... her body was swathed in a flowing and diaphanous kimono ... with matching flowing ... pants ... her toenails ... adding a classy and put-together touch to her already classy and put-together flowy aura."

In Chapter 18 she's in the store picking up "curried spices". Curry means 'sauce', or it can indicate a specific spice mix; spices aren't curried, food is! (Who edited this?)

Yet no one suggested a dictionary, thesaurus, or higher-level class to develop skills.

This races into objectionable on multiple fronts. The jerk who physically assaults the MC, blames the MC for it, and of course eventually becomes the love interest, grabbing the MC without permission, forcing himself on her, but she likes it. While, of course, she's still married to someone else.

Her 'hostess' Crystal is actually MC's puppetmaster, luring her in hundreds of miles away, having her commit before sharing that there is a contract to be made or telling her what it consists of. And of course Ms. Wide-eyed MC thinks its 'wonderful'. Crystal comes and goes, orchestrating and manipulating the MC's views and actions, sending over select, pre-vetted people, to see how MC deals with them. Inviting herself into everything. This is supposed to be romantic and 'feminine', but to this reader its just creepy.

Other characters are off too. A woman makes wine locally, 'out of honey'. But she herself doesn't know the term for that is Mead? There is this magical store of knowledge called the world wide web, surely at SOME point Tilly the winemaker looked something up, and the term appeared, once or twice? (Unlike grapes, honey doesn't naturally support yeast, it has to be 'fed' to make Mead. So it didn't 'just happen' one day to some stored honey.)

There are some nice sections mostly involving the teenage Bess. But the MC seems clueless about life outside of that, and where does this affinity for a teenager come from? MC is TSTL, she KNOWS there's hostility in town, she KNOWS there's a shark of a pedigreed local running for mayor, she KNOWS the house is a subject of major curiosity, and she invites a virtual stranger to the house for dinner, with no one else. Every reader knows its the shark's wife, the writing is so clumsy, and its just too hard to care about MC's rep. Again, still married, but that doesn't matter to her or to the author, apparently. The 'not disclosing' her background - that, including legal marriage, is easily researched from the comfort of a web browser, for anyone who wants to bother.

Yet, forging on, about a third of the way in, this settles into familiar romance territory. The cookie-cutter MMC, the instant-female-posse, the MMC acting like a caveman and the FMC finding that intoxicating...

The mayor wins the race, the challenger gets spelled to tell only the truth, his abused wife and children walk away free and clear with the house and the money and the MIL's total support, the lost childhood friend showing up in the epilogue. All fairy-tale neat and fairy-tale unreal.

Final wish - what does one have to do to get a house that acts like this? Would have enjoyed a whole book about the house, exploring the house, what it needs, what it can do.... Despite realizing the House is played as a prop. Shouldn't it have prevented Jessica from coming in, Rob from even getting onto the porch, and shouldn't the ghosts have been able to protect their graves? Just wondering.

[Paloma]

Loved it! I loved the beginning the most. I cannot tell you how many times I played as a kid with my house doing what it does in this. Then I had a few issues on how the MMC talks to the FMC. I think the book could have been just as great without that scene, maybe just mentioning it happened and little else.

[Jessie]

I am so upset...that this is over. I am so happy this lived up the excitement I felt when I saw this Author was having sign-ups for ARCs. And even more excited when I got one! (Sorry this review is late cause I have had the ARC in my email since August 23rd 😱) Anyway, I digress.

This was such a fun, cozy, thrilling, emotional, and heartwarming ride from beginning to end. I felt so connected through the whole book and highlighted MANY passages. As a middle/elder Millenial this book made me feel "seen," as the FMC refers to throughout. Witchy vibes, a doggo companion (and some cats), female community, spicyness, mysterious town history, hidden antagonists, and recipes that need to be put in a corresponding cookbook (especially Crystal's "deadly" margaritas), Grumpy/Sunshine-ish, HEA. 🌶🌶🌶🌶 on the spicy scale 👀 with tension building (some may call semi slow burn). Any woman over 30, and maybe some younger, who have been through some ish can definitely relate and I say this is a must read! So go read this when it gets published!

[Amy L Brownlee]

4.75 stars
Did you say a fun witchy story with strong women, sisterhood, dabbles of magic and hexing misogynistic men whilst drunk with your girlfriends? Oh and did I mention the house and property were sentient? Such a fun, lighthearted read that touches on the hardships women endure. I loved it.
I loved the FMC Ursula’s character and loved seeing her bloom into the woman she is meant to be rather than what a relationship and society thought best for her. I also highly appreciated her ability to stay true to herself, her beliefs and to not back down against anyone.
I loved the female side characters so much, how they swooped in and brought Ursula into their circle. There was so much love, sisterhood and throw in feminine rage and you’ve got me so hooked.
The plot was good and I liked the history of the house and understanding the lost souls. I did however find it slightly flat in parts but overall it was there, I wasn’t solely reading for strong plot and knew this to be a fun read complete with a ‘Brawny Man’ MMC. I loved watching the romance bloom and both MC’s love for young Bess.
If you’re after a fun, easy read about relatable women banding together in witchy sisterhood I highly recommend this book

[Ash]

3.8 ⭐️ Just finished the ARC for this one and I thought it was a great fall vibes witchy book. My only dislike was it does have a lot of politics in it which I was not expecting and I typically read to get away from what’s going on in the world so I dont like politics in my books. I also didn’t agree with a decision to use/ rely on a hex to win an election but outside of that I thought it had great female friends, grumpy main characters, recovering from past relationships, and a really cool house. I like how the author can articulate strong feelings that I’m sure most of us have felt but have never been able to put into words. In particular this quote "I have felt lonely for so long that being around people is like walking out of a dark theater you've been trapped in for two hours and into the sunlight. It's shocking and blinding.” As an introvert who has been on maternity leave 3 times in the past 4 years I felt this!

[Sammy Lynn]

I seriously was so excited for this based on the title and in a lot of ways I was really let down. The pacing was all over the place, syntax errors, too little information at times then everything happening all at once.

What I wanted: More magic, more romance, more tequila TBH, more of Ursula's backstory and more references to her lost "bestie".

Overall it just didn't hit the mark for me and I'm sad because I LOVE witches.

[Ashley Williams]

Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Audiobook Narration: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/10

This book felt like a cozy chai—warm, comforting, witchy, and with a little spice. Add Salem at Halloween, a magical house, found family, and a mysterious invitation, and obviously I was intrigued.

Ursula receives an invitation to come live at the Lost Souls House in Salem, where she finds herself surrounded by magic, secrets, and a group of women who become her new found family. I really liked Ursula and could connect with parts of her story, especially the feeling of not being seen in a relationship and realizing how much you've simply accepted.

That being said, this leads into my biggest issue with the book. There is a lot of narrative surrounding feminism and political issues that felt very reminiscent of our current political climate. I'm not against the message at all, but I read fantasy largely to escape the current state of the world. After a while, it started pulling me out of the story. I would've happily traded some of that page time for more magic, plot development, and relationship building.

Because GIVE ME MORE MAGIC.

The Lost Souls House was such a fun idea. It isn't really sentient, but it somehow knows what you need—sometimes before you do. My favorite part was that the house decorates itself, which is frankly the kind of magic I need in my own life. 😂 I just wish the magic itself had been explored more. We're mostly expected to accept that the house is magical and that magical things happen without getting much explanation for how or why.

The Salem setting and Halloween vibes were fantastic and gave me the cottagecore witchiness I wanted. Normally, a low-stakes mystery fits perfectly into my definition of cozy fantasy. Here, though, the heavier political storyline occasionally pushed it outside that cozy bubble for me.

And then there's Jenson.

I really liked their relationship once it got going. It became very sweet, and when the spice finally arrived, it ARRIVED. I'd put it around a 6/10, with the caveat that there aren't actually that many spicy scenes—the scenes that are spicy are just pretty spicy.

My problem was getting to that relationship. Their feelings developed so quickly when it felt like they'd had maybe three five-minute interactions before they were kissing. I wanted more conversations, flirting, tension, and actual time together so I could really buy into those feelings.

Although apparently Jenson looks like the Brawny Man, so...I'd probably let him kiss me after fifteen minutes too. 😂

For the audiobook, Patricia Santomasso did a fantastic job. Her pacing was really good, she was pleasant and easy to listen to, and I thought she brought Ursula to life. I'd definitely listen to her again.

Overall, this was a 3.5 star read rounded up for the audiobook narration. I loved the magical house, Salem setting, Halloween atmosphere, Ursula, and where the romance eventually ended up. I just wanted the book to spend more time developing its magic, mystery, and romance and a little less time reiterating its social and political themes.

I'm definitely interested in seeing where the next book in the series goes, though. If you're looking for witchy Salem vibes, a magical house that anticipates your needs, an older heroine starting over, some romance, and a cozy chai with a surprisingly spicy kick, this one is worth checking out.

ARC Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[Stacey]

This had so many things I should have loved. A late-30s Midwestern woman (uh, hi!) moving to Salem, starting over, finding herself, making friends, building a community, falling in love, and living her best little witchy life? SIGN ME UP.

And there were genuinely a lot of things I loved. The friendships and found family were easily my favorite part of the book. I loved the girlfriends Ursula collects along the way, Casper the dog, the house cat, the house itself, and the garden that apparently decided Massachusetts fall weather was merely a suggestion. I also really enjoyed some of the other characters who get swept into Ursula’s new life. Those relationships gave the story a lot of heart.

Unfortunately, I think the book was trying to be too many things at once, and I never quite found the mix I was looking for. I wanted the middle-aged coming-of-age story where a woman decides she is going to live her life for herself, alongside a genuinely witchy mystery involving haunted houses, ancestral witches, hexes, and all the Practical Magic-esque fun the premise seemed to promise. Instead, for about 80% of the book I kept thinking, “Okay, this is VERY cozy.” And then toward the end, suddenly there was so much drama and sex that I was wondering where that book had been hiding.

I also really struggled with Jensen. I never became invested in their romance, and the spice showing up when it did felt completely out of nowhere. I think I needed to actually understand and like Jensen before I was going to care about that part of their relationship, and unfortunately I just didn't.

The audiobook itself was enjoyable, though. I thought Patricia Santomasso was a great fit for Ursula and the overall tone of the story, and she made this an easy listen.

So, ultimately, this was a solid 3 stars for me. I liked it! I just didn't love it in the way I really wanted to. There were so many pieces here that were exactly my kind of thing, but they never quite came together into the story I was hoping for.

I probably won't continue the series, mostly because my fall TBR is already out of control and I have a certain Sarah Booth series waiting for me over there. But if you want a cozy, friendship-focused witchy story with a strong found-family element, and a sorta insta grumpy/ hot and cold romance this could absolutely be your kind of book.

[Annie ⚜️]

I gave this 4 stars because I really appreciated what it has to say about womanhood, friendship (or lack thereof) and approaching middle age.

Ursula is a 38 year-old woman who up and leaves her unhappy life in Ohio after she receives a mysterious invitation to move into the Lost Souls House in Salem, MA. Suspend disbelief about logistics. She moves into this magical house that decorates itself exactly as she imagined she just has to visit a mysterious graveyard out back with no names on the tombstones. Oh and she has an Irish wolfhound. She is quickly taken in by a tight knit group of women and meets a broody, handy guy. There’s an election that’s threatened when they’re all accused of witchcraft. Pretty silly that that would be problematic in Salem but idk. It’s a cozy story about what it means to be a woman approaching middle age and finally coming into her own.

[Daniela]

Das perfekte Buch um spooky season offiziell zu starten.
Sehr sympathische Hauptfigur, tolle Nebenfiguren, starke Freundschaften und das perfekte Setting in Salem.
Von den politischen Inhalten war ich überrascht - aber zum Glück im positiven.
Das einzige was mich nicht so überzeugen konnte war die Romanze - da gab es mir zu wenig positive Interaktion um überhaupt das Gefühl zu haben, dass er sie mag.
Ging dann von 0 auf 100 und ich konnte das null nachvollziehen - war einfach auch keine Chemie zu spüren. Die Sexszene bzw. der Dialog war überraschend und fand es passte nicht zum Rest vom Buch.

[Sassy Sashinna]

Loved this book! It sounded good from the description but still wasn’t quite sure about it. So glad I took a chance and got it anyway! Can’t say enough good things about it!

Great story of re-finding yourself, finding your people, and finding your place in the world. Finding your strength and courage to pick up the pieces of yourself that you’d let go of over the years and remembering who you were with a drive and passion that you’d lost along the way.

Definitely looking forward to reading more books by this author!

[Holly R]

DNF @ 27%

I listened to this on audio and Patricia Santomasso did a great job narrating and bringing life to these characters. 5 stars for narration.

I was super excited to start reading this novel; I mean, what can go wrong when you mix tequila with hexes. The premise seemed like this would be a fun read to kick off the fall season but sadly it wasn't for me.

I wasn't a fan of the writing style; a lot was said but at the same time, nothing was really said. I was getting frustrated far too often; I kept wishing they spit it out already and to stop with the fluff. Its was also a bit too on the nose with things. If I didn't receive an advance copy, I would have DNF at the first chapter when she read the ad. It was just too much, too over the top, and too on the nose for me.

However, I can see where this could find it's niche. Maybe if you are looking for a cozy, found family, over the top, where you don't have to guess fall book, this might be for you. It just wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley, LeAnna Ehrsam, and Hay House audiobooks for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

[Crystal Garcia]

Just exquisitely charming. Reminded me of “Practical Magic” and was filled with honesty, mystery, and plenty of magic. Although there were a lot of characters, I had no issue following who was who and loved seeing the main character’s journey from who she was to who she was never brave enough to become.

[Mary Kathryn]

This was relatable on so many different points. Being in your late 30s, rediscovering yourself, finding those female friendships that just let you exist, and a man that sees you. And it’s witchy… fun read, somewhat predictable but in a way that just makes it enjoyable read.

[Athena 💗]

A great way to kick off the fall season because this book was giving all the cozy, witchy vibes. I loved the found friendship and was pleasantly surprised by some of the unexpected heat this book delivered. The reason I rated it a little lower is because the pacing was a bit on the slower side for my personal taste but overall I enjoyed it for what it was.

[Dea]

Fun and light.

[Janis Gerney]

Fantasy isn’t typically my genre of choice, but I really enjoyed this book. The premise of women uplifting each other was inspirational. Now I want a Brawny man for myself.

[Saige Steele]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book through Netgalley.
I loved this book so much! It was fun and sweet, feminist and interesting. I would have read it even without the romance subplot, but I am a sucker for a good romance! I listened to this book on audiobook.
Story: Ursula is a whimsical 38 year old with baggage. She leaves her partner of ten years who has stopped seeing her and moves impromptu ally to Salem where she meets the locals, becomes famous (because she's living in a haunted house) and gets in to all sorts of wild trouble only the best friendships could help you through. This story is centred around the women she meets and learns to open up to, after a decade of forgetting who she is. It's heart-warming, charming and romantic novel about women and the strength they can give one another when they trust each other.
Narration: Patricia Santomasso was a beautiful narrator with a lovely, easy to listen to voice. Perfect for this comfortable little tale.
Can't wait for book 2!

[Leonie Hodes]

Ik was ontzettend gefrustreerd door dit boek, ik heb uiteindelijk zelfspagina's alleen gescand en niet volledig gelezen omdat ik wel benieuwd was hoe het zou eindigen(daarom 2 sterren).

Mijn twee grootste ergernissen:

-De schrijfstijl is niet voor mij. Veel te veel "poëtische" observaties en zinnetjes over hoe geweldig de vrouwelijke sisterhood en vrouwen in het algemeen zijn (wat natuurlijk wel zo is maar ik heb liever dat dat blijkt uit de daden of gesprekken dan dat het continu benoemd moet worden). (bv: "They burst into the warm kitchen that carried the smell of their homemade pizzas on the tide of large belly laughs and holding each other up, the way that women do")

-De Man is verschrikkelijk, en een cliche. Grumpy, lang, super knap, zorgzaam natuurlijk en hij vraagt niet maar hij neemt. Dat laatste moet sexy zijn maar is heel tegenstrijdig met de feministische uitspraken in het boek. En verder heeft hij eigenlijk weinig persoonlijkheid.