Byres Road

The Witches of Scotland Romance #1

by Steven P. Aitchison

🔮 Seven witches. Seven stories. One powerful destiny. 🔮

In the heart of Glasgow’s West End, seven women unknowingly carry the legacy of an ancient sisterhood. Each of them, the descendant of a long-forgotten coven, has built a life for herself—running bookshops, cafés, florists, and patisseries—blissfully unaware of the magick woven into their blood.

Until now.

When Isla Macrae, a sceptical bookseller, stumbles upon an old grimoire and a series of cryptic messages left by her late grandmother, she unlocks a mystery that has been hidden for generations. As she and her newfound sisters begin to awaken their dormant powers, they must navigate love, self-discovery, and a growing danger that threatens not just them, but the city itself.

Each book in The Witches of Scotland series follows one of the seven women as she discovers her place in the coven, her unique magickal ability, and the romance she never saw coming. With cozy witchcraft, slow-burn romance, and the enchanting backdrop of Scotland, this spellbinding series is perfect for fans of paranormal romance, magical realism, and found-family stories.

✨ Love, magick, and fate are calling. ✨

📚 Perfect for readers who
✅ Witchy romance with a touch of mystery
✅ Small-town vibes with a Scottish twist
✅ Strong, independent heroines finding love and power
✅ Slow-burn and fated mates romance
✅ Hidden legacies, ancient magic, and a dash of danger

Start the journey today with The Witches of Byres Road!

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Cozy, Magic, Audiobook

154 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2025

About the author

Steven Aitchison is an author of magick fantasy with his 9 book series The Witches of Scotland https://geni.us/hFD1N about astral projection, an energy magic system and Witches from the West end of Glasgow.

He has a degree in Psychology and has one of the longest running personal development blogs.

He loves a good conspiracy theory but more than that, he loves reading, writing and spending time in his own magickal worlds inside his head.

Sign up for his newsletter at https://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/fiv... for ARC opportunities, bonus content, and new releases or follow him on TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram for frequent updates.

Want to be part of the Witches of Scotland author group https://www.facebook.com/StevenAitchi...

Reviews

[ANGELA · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the idea behind the story, but the execution was just...off. There was zero character development, and the characters were not even consistent from one page to the next. One minute Cat thinks Alistaire is creepy and dangerous and completely over reacts to his knocking on the shop door in the morning, and by that evening she's teasing her friend about her admirer and seemingly fine with sharing everything with him. The author kind of just told you how to feel and what to think without ever actually developing the story or giving details. Their meeting to share information was done in broad strokes with no real, true information. Everyone kept hinting that magic was waking up for a reason, and there could be danger, but no one ever asked real questions about it. They just kind of went about their day, taking what info was given to them but not actively DOING anything to understand it better. She gets another letter from her grandmother and carried it around to read later...but never did. It was just forgotten in the story?

It was very obviously a man writing what he thinks women would say and do...and missing the mark completely. Like he was mansplaining the story to us. And then it just...ends. It didn't feel like a full story, it felt like it just ended between random chapters. Since it's a cliffhanger, and sometimes I've found the first book in a series can be a bit cliche'd while it sets up the characters, and then hit it's stride and develop, I'll likely read the next book to see if it's any better, as the story line is interesting, but I'm not sure I'll stick the whole series out unless the next book is a dramatic improvement.

[Katie Roper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was enjoyable, perfect for cosy spooky season. Excited to be introduced to some characters and hear more from them as it develops.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Margaret McGinty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it and the characters I’ve never wanted to go to two imaginary shops more in my life five stars

[Samantha Eriksen-Hebron · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just couldn't get into it.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.0.. This is clearly the start of a series, and while the premise is interesting, the book itself is lost in that fact. This does not feel like a standalone novel, and I am basing my rating off of that fact. The story itself is slow and meandering, going from one point to the next without full exploration. The book is too short to do what it needs to do to give us a good look at Isla, her life, and fully be immersed in her world. The story itself gives off Sailor Moon vibes, as that show also begins with each girl having to awaken to their powers. While I am on board with novels for each one, every person should get a full novel, and there shouldn't be such a dire cliff-hanger at the end, again because these books should be able to standalone. As it is, a person may be more likely to get the next book, but they could be just as likely to put this one down and never bother trying for the others to get the full story. The romance here feels underserved, as I don't know why Isla likes Alistair beyond thinking he's hot and conveniently knowing her grandmother. Without the last 10 pages showing they have intimacy, there was no real romance between them. Overall this is a miss for me, and I will debate on picking up the next in the series.

[Ciara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very easy read and its ok I will check out the next one but its very rushed but I like the premis. She becomes besties with Cat within a day despite working next to each other for years and never speaking, Cat was blonde when introduced but then had red hair later on and random people just keep turning up saying oh yeah you have magic yet why did they never say anything before? It has a good basis but maybe instead of so many individual books it should have been a few longer ones and not be so rushed. It may also just me me I also dont understand why the owner of a bookshop goes to waterstones to get a new book i mean I guess yeah they may have more stock on what she reads but shouldn't she as an independent bookshop owner avoid the competition (literally across the road) and order in the books she likes herself?

[Jay Muirhead · Rating 1 out of 5]

Possibly the worst book I've ever read. If I could give it minus stars, I would.
Do not read.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an urban fantasy romance series set in Glasgow, Scotland and centers around seven witches. Periodically, an ancient evil raised its head in Glasgow and a new generation of witches are awakened, whose magic flies through their bloodline, to unite and defeat the negative forces.

The author provides intrigue at the overarching storyline with just enough information breadcrumb the reader along, as well as hooking you incredibly well with a heaping helping of emotional investment in the history and relationship between FMC Isla and her departed grandmother. There is a grimoire that is consistently changing and revealing clues as it’s being read, which was provided by a mysterious and attractive gentleman who knew the Isla’s grandmother. There’s a neighbor who also knew the members of Isla’s grandmothers coven. Another witch is introduced in this first book, Cat, and she quickly becomes a trusted friend, and she is a great balance to Isla. She owns a coffee shop while Isla owns a bookstore.

I really like the way this book is written, the characters and the setting are very richly described. It’s a novella length book and was over way before I was prepared for it to be. I dove straight into book two!

[Kay Pealstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an especially good series. My only complaint is that they are each short books. Even I had this first book in my library for a few days, once I started, I read them all in a day. I could not put them down. I am hungry for more of their stories. I will be watching for more of Aitchison's series, even as I wait to hear more of the 7 Magickal Sisters.

Byres Road kicks off the series laying out the premise of the 7 who will become a Coven and that there is another world besides the one we live in - the tick-tock world of noise, and busyness, constant kaleidoscope of interactions - pulling us away from the quiet, thoughtful thinking we all need.

I wasn't ready for each book to end. This first one was abrupt, but actually the intersection of the next Scottish Witch that will grow the 7. Each that continues the stories, was close to their grandmothers, each learning bits of magick without the naming of them.

Try the first 2 and you will be hooked.

[Shannon Lorimer Author · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love that this book is set in Glasgow's West End. The concept is super fun, especially because I love anything witchy related. For me personally I felt the beginning of this book was very slow paced (I have ADHD, so admittedly if something isn't fast paced I will get bored. So that could very well be on me). But I struggled to connect or care about any of the characters. This book is part of a series, so this basically acts as a set up for the series. It ends on a massive cliff hanger so you have to jump into book two. But this one didn't grab my attention enough. So I don't think I want to read the next in the series unfortunately. But just because this book wasn't for me doesn't mean it won't be for you. I think for a reader who doesn't mind a slower pace this will be enjoyable.

[Laura M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured this book! I couldn’t put it down and really loved the characters and the way it was written. It completely pulled me in, and I found myself wanting to keep reading to see what happened next.

There were only two things that didn’t particularly work for me. The first was the blasphemy, but that’s more of a personal preference than a criticism of the book itself. The second was the romance. I felt like it developed quite quickly and was almost squeezed in towards the end, without much build-up or lead-up to it. I personally prefer a slow-burn romance, so I think that’s probably why it didn’t quite work for me.

That said, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Kelly Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like the idea of this book and I will read book 2 because book 1 ends in a cliff hanger. I hope that is not a reoccurring event because I do not like cliff hangers. There is just no point, especially if each book portrays a witch. It is a short story so maybe my rating should be a 3 instead of a 4 but for now, I'm rating it a 4. There is so much trying to happen and the book is too short for all that the author is trying to portray. One moment they don't know they are witches and the next moment they have powers. The Alistair plot is also rushed, as well as the friendship developing between Isla and Cat. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's very rushed for the plot line. I think more development of the story could have happened here and I really want to love this series.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Imagine that someone had read a lot of Nora Roberts, especially the key series, and also really liked The TV show Charmed. Then they wrote a novel and decided that every 130 pages, they would chop it up and make that a book.

I thought it was an interesting enough plot to finish the book but still annoying

And throw in women becoming Bi because they developed magic powers even though they had never been bi before. Sounds awful right? Well, I made it through the first two books even though they were more like novellas and I have zero interest in reading more. Too many plot holes and dividing up a storyline like that is a crime against literature.

[Kimberlee Suber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really Enjoyed it! Warning, Cliff Hanger!

I enjoyed the pace of the first book and the introduction to the characters. I typically dislike books that leave you hanging and this one certainly did that! It felt like it just dropped off so you have to get the next book to know what happens. I really wish authors wouldn’t do this. I know all of them don’t and typically lean towards authors that finish the book and leave you with the option to continue. I will probably wait until he finishes this series to read the next book so I don’t have to deal
With cliff hangers. I can just read them one after the other without waiting on the next book.

[Meryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

IMHO this book was poorly written, redundant, and mostly silly. The two female characters kept going 'round and 'round and never really accomplished what they said they had to do. Not sure about the man in the novel, although I have my suspicions.
I had no intention of continuing the series, but I think I'll look at #2 just to find out about the ending of the first book (will probably skim) and to see if I'm right about the man.
I wouldn't bother another minute if I had to pay for this one.
Sorry...I know that the author worked really hard and deserves kudos for whatever research and time he devoted. Maybe the first 2 series were better?

[Alisa Tramel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars - Ok. The beginning was rough. I honestly had to look up if this was an AI written book. I think a few spellings were missed in editing, and yes, I get it's written in UK terms. But still. And a coffee shop opening up at 9am? For people going to work? Not realistic. But ... I got past that and continued reading. It's not horrible. Writing is simple and it's a fast read.

But, the book is not a stand alone book like most in a series. It's more a really long chapter. But I will continue on to "book" 2.

1 star for the beginning, but felt it grew to 3 stars by the end.

[Karen Thompkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

has potential but needs work

This book has the bones for potential, but desperately needs an editor and copy editor. There’s a few typographical errors, but I’ve seen worse. Where the book really drops the ball is there are at least two times someone shows up for a chat, but the chat never happens. Just poof, the person shows up and leaves. It’s a short book, and the pacing needs a lot of work. It’s billed as a romance, but there is very little lead up to the couple actually getting together. Disappointing, and I won’t be continuing this series.

[Carla · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get into it. I thought there was a lot of unnecessary info, for ex: she always thought about turning part of the bookstore into a coffee shop but never did anything about it. This is right after a stranger hands her a seemingly important, glowing, mysterious tome. It didn't make sense to me why she never noticed, in her small shop, that the largest section was the occult section. Didn't care for how much we talked about her body in the first 10% of the book.

[heather stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Byres Road

Thoroughly enjoyed this first book of a series of newly discovered witches and looking forward to reading the next one. Maybe some of the previous characters in Steven P Aitchison's previous Witches of Scotland books will turn up in this series!
If you liked The Witches of Scotland books you will enjoy this one.

[Daniel Laughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romaance and Intrigue

Another magical series filled with intrigue with an added bonus. Reminds me of a Nora Roberts novel, which means that after book one, I'm already loving this series! I'm happy to see the author go down this path. Two of my favorites - witches and romance! And it's not smutty. Perfect for adults and young adults. Now on to book two!

[Jacqui Bound · Rating 5 out of 5]

witches of Scotland romance series book 1

As we learn about Isla her gran and the journey as her powers awaken , her meeting with a man her new friend Cat also now awakening, we discover the grimoire love friendship and just as they’re about to discover their true power darkness can creep in

[slsmitty25 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn into the story by the thought of finding out later in life that there was something so much more to oneself. I really liked the main character Isla, the bookkeeper, though I may be biased as a Librarian. She is smart, skeptical, intelligent and yet able to suspend disbelief when needed. Isla shows strength of character even when she is afraid and not sure what is going on around her.

[Anne-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! A light, fun, and mysterious novella! Lately, I feel like so many authors drone on and on for unnecessary pages compling erroneous text. This was short, sweet, but effective. That characters are fun, the magic is whimsical, but also has an edge of danger. The setting is atmospheric. I love the journey Byres Road has started me on! 🔮🪄💫☕️

[Kelly McElroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book! It was short, sweet, to the point and so delightful and fun. Hooked front the start! I rarely go for a 9 book series but I know this will be worth it. I love the characters and how they interact with each other. Looking forward to what happens next BECAUSE THAT LAST SENTENCE! I yelled “What?” Did not expect it to just stop. 😊 I wanted more right away.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thought the writing was simplistic and took big leaps in developing the characters relationships. In the span of a week they’re best friends and lovers. Felt rushed. I wasn’t going to continue the series BUT literally the last chapter got better with the story line. Books are short enough that I’ll give the series one more chance on the second book before I make a decision.

[Antonia Macfarlane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cosy little book I read over the weekend. The West End is feeling very autumnal and I came across this rec on Instagram. The character development is lacking and the descriptions are bland but it is a lovely little story and very easy read. Fun to read a book set in my city! Will probably read the next one as it finished on a cliff hanger. Halloween is coming!! 🎃🧙‍♀️

[Lori Warren · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars. Interesting set up, but poor execution. I like the idea of the group of witches with magic awakening in a new generation.
Absolutely NO romance, with barely a mention of the guy at all for the majority of the book. One random cringy fade to black moment around the 85% mark.
Creepy cliff hanger ending.
Age 17+

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leaves me wanting more!

Awesome book! It reads easily and teases the reader with glimpses of what's to come. The only thing I disliked was it's more a chapter than a book. If you're reading this before you purchase, do yourself a favor and buy the whole series at once. You won't regret it.

[Rick Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you fell in love with The Witches Of Scotland and then the Edinburgh files. you are sure to fall in love with the Romance series. the characters come to life from the first page, looking forward to book two to find out what has happened to Cat? also, how Isla copes with her new life as a witch.