Magic & Matchmaking: A Cozy Fantasy Romance

Moonflower Witches #0.5

by Tee Harlowe

A desperate witch inheriting a tea shop, a famous bard needing a break, and the fake-dating scheme that could help them both.

After years of getting bitten, scratched, and burned at her father’s magical creature shop, Emma Thorne is ready for a new job. She doesn’t expect to inherit a sentient shop that makes tea—and love matches.

The only problem? The mystical shop refuses to accept Emma as its owner until she shows interest in love, something she doesn’t want, not when it might mean losing her independence. Enter Riven famous bard and Emma’s childhood friend. Desperate for a break from the women constantly fawning over him, he strikes a deal with Emma.

They’ll fake a relationship and solve each other’s problems. Emma will earn the tea shop’s trust, and Riven will get some much-needed respite from his more enthusiastic fans.

But between the romantic outings, hot tea, and growing tension, Emma is beginning to wonder if this pretend relationship might be more real than she ever expected.

The coziness and low-stakes fantasy of Legends & Lattes meets the romance of Bridgerton in Magic & Matchmaking, a friends-to-lovers novella featuring a tea shop with an attitude problem, a snarky miniature dragon, and all the cottagecore vibes.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Cozy, Fantasy Romance, Romantasy, Cozy Fantasy, Novella

120 pages, Paperback

Published June 3, 2025

Reviews

[Snjez · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars

If you use expressions like 'cozy fantasy', 'the coziness' and 'cottagecore vibes', I have expectations. The beginning seemed promising, because there is a scene with a super cute miniature dragon, Sasha. There's also another, very opiniated and very willing to give his opinions, little dragon called Herman. They are the best part of this story and the reason for that half star in my rating.

The story is very simplistic and surface-level. As is the writing style. It's very predictable. The moment we meet Layla, I knew how everything would play out and I had to wait for 85% of the book for Emma to catch up. The world is not explained or anything, but it's easy to understand how things work, so I guess it wasn't needed. Talking about Layla, there's a 'Jane Austen's Emma' moment in this story that felt totally random.

The romance had zero spark for me. Riven's only personality trait is being a bard and all the girls chase after him. Riven and Emma are supposed to be childhood friends, but I couldn't imagine that. From the moment they see each other again after a couple of years, they are both very attracted to each other. Also the fake dating thing and the misunderstandings were so clumsily done. The dialogues between Emma and Riven made me cringe.

Maybe my idea of a story that calls itself cozy is completely off, but one thing I don't expect is smut. I didn't expect mentions of how Riven's c*** stiffens every time he sees Emma, nor did I expect any sex scenes. Very poorly written on top of that. I rushed through the last 20% or so, just to be done with this.

I really wish whoever writes blurbs would stop comparing every book with other popular books. Just because there is a tea shop in this one doesn't make it the next Legends & Lattes. I haven’t read or watched Bridgerton, nor do I plan to, but I truly hope that romance is not like in this book.

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma is a lonely spinster destined for a boring life of working at her father’s shop of magical creatures, which mainly involves corralling multi-headed snakes and cleaning griffin dung. Her only companion is a mouthy mini dragon named Herman who continually insults her and reminds her she has no friends. She reluctantly assumes ownership of the town’s sentient tea shop, but unfortunately, the shop keeps trying to kill her because she’s single. Meanwhile, her closest childhood friend and once almost lover has returned to Thistlegrove from his tour as a famous bard. Emma and Riven pick up where they left off, but it takes a meddling retiree and some squealing from Herman to really move things along. There are sapphic love matches, unrequited pining, post-coital cheese, and invisible cats! Can our star-crossed lovers turn their fake-dating scheme into a real second chance? Does a lute-diddling bard need all those muscles? They certainly don't hurt.

[eclecticbychoicereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there is anyone whom I would trust to tell a love story of two best friends pining over each other for more than a decade in less than 150 pages, it would be Tee Harlowe. And she told it in the most precious way ever. She made me laugh, made me squirm, made me giggle. She made me fall hopelessly and utterly in love with this new series just by reading this delightful prequel novella.

Oh, Tee knows her cosy fantasy; she is an expert storyteller who will capture your heart and never let you go. She will gift you stories full of love, laughter, and everything in between. Think of her books as if they were the most perfect autumn afternoon filled with golden rays of sun, a cup of the most delicious tea you've ever tasted and a book to warm you inside and out. That is what Magic & Matchmaking was for me. And I never wanted for the afternoon to finish... It's a good thing I can dive straight into Potion & Prejudice, Book 1 of the series and forever live in the world Tee has created for us.

Magic & Matchmaking, in short, was a precious, cosy fantasy novella with a low-stakes setting, a charming yet slightly murderous tea shop, and a pet dragon named Herman who stole the entire show with his commentaries and meddling personality. Emma and Riven’s relationship was everything I had hoped for; I loved the banter and the ever-growing chemistry simmering for over a decade. The HEA healed my heart and made my gloomy Sunday shine bright.

[Sara Jesus · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny and silly reteling of "Emma". In this version the witch Emma dreams to see to world but stays in her hometown to take care of her father. She will own an teashop that try to kill her because she is single, so she fakes an relationship with her best friend River. River is an famous bard that always was in love with Emma but did run away for his feelings, because Emma his afraid to leave her dad.

Just like "Potions and Prejudice" this story have a very funny dragon that will help Emma to chase her happiness. And we get to see Dravan friendship with River (he actually give some love advices), and the moment when he adopts Edgar.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this one for free in the author‘s newsletter. Ist was a cozy fast read, but nothing special. I was a little confused as some aspects pointed to it being an Emma-Retelling but then so many things didn‘t match with the character(s), vibes and story line of Austen‘s Emma?!? 🤷‍♀️

[adriana]

I decided to go with something light & cozy, but this was way too poorly developed for me to enjoy 😔

[Sally Jucha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect quick cozy romantasy (don't even know if it's a novella, it's only 122 pgs) story. Makes me want to dive more into the world and read the next book. Everyone needs a pocket sized dragon to tell you like it is. And now I really want a good cup of tea.

[Beth DeLong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute read, and perfect for some instant gratification! I love Tee's sense of humor in her writing. If you've read her Stolen Crown series, you may find a personality similar to Driscoll in a pocket-sized dragon. I love Tee's blunt bff characters that just call it like they see it. 😂

This novella was also perfect for setting the scene for Potions and Prejudice, which I'm looking forward to diving into next!

⚠️ Occasional cursing, including F
🌶 One open-door scene

[❦PoisonApple❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a cozy, witchy fantasy read, and it delivered! Short, but I enjoyed it ❤️

[Victoria Foxdenreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted a cozy, romantic, giggle-and-kick-my-feet fantasy book with a bit of spice, and that's exactly what I got.

Firstly may I say that Herman the miniature talking dragon is an absolute icon and could easily be a beloved, sassy Disney princess companion. I did not expect the sheer volume of attitude and hungering-for-drama that was going to come out of a pocket sized pink dragon but I'm here for it.

This is a friends-to-lovers story and I was sucked into it straight away. Emma is so relatable, having falling into that space that so many of us do where our needs and wants fade into the background over years of doing for others. Riven is funny and charming but I was pleasantly surprised by the very serious way he became protective of Emma sometimes. I wasn't expecting it at first but I loved it.

The characters are so enjoyable, I loved Emma and Riven individually and as a fake-couple and I was rooting for them to get together. Riven's yearning is delicious and just levelled everything up. I was unreasonably obsessed with him after about 50 pages and I loved that we got his POV too.

At only 190ish pages, Magic & Matchmaking is the perfect story to curl up with and unwind for the evening, and I cannot WAIT for the sequel!

[Kassyreadsalot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Magic And Matchmaking

Author: Tee Harlowe

Synopsis: A desperate witch inheriting a tea shop, a famous bard needing a break, and the fake-dating scheme that could help them both.

After years of getting bitten, scratched, and burned at her father’s magical creature shop, Emma Thorne is ready for a new job. She doesn’t expect to inherit a sentient shop that makes tea—and love matches.

The only problem? The mystical shop refuses to accept Emma as its owner until she shows interest in love, something she doesn’t want, not when it might mean losing her independence. Enter Riven Shiu: famous bard and Emma’s childhood friend. Desperate for a break from the women constantly fawning over him, he strikes a deal with Emma.

They’ll fake a relationship and solve each other’s problems. Emma will earn the tea shop’s trust, and Riven will get some much-needed respite from his more enthusiastic fans.

But between the romantic outings, hot tea, and growing tension, Emma is beginning to wonder if this pretend relationship might be more real than she ever expected.

The coziness and low-stakes fantasy of Legends & Lattes meets the romance of Bridgerton in Magic & Matchmaking, a friends-to-lovers novella featuring a tea shop with an attitude problem, a snarky miniature dragon, and all the cottagecore vibes.

Review: I had previously read her sequel book or companion book Potions And Prejudice earlier this year and I loved it! I picked up this book knowing I would enjoy just as much as j did with Potions and Prejudice! The world and I loved seeing Draven in here! I was rooting for the main couple in this book! It was so sweet to read about and I loved the atmosphere! This book put a smile on my face!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a free series teaser on Amazon, and I enjoyed it so much that I finished it in less than 2 days and already bought the next book. I enjoyed the playful fantasy elements, with magical creatures and shops. As well as the witch stories of her supporting her stepfather and learning the background of why she stayed in his shop she feels so ill-suited for the work, then the story of the childhood best friend who returns after becoming famous only to finally find himself in a fake-not fake relationship with her. The rest of the story is very cozy, but don't let it lull you too - I was surprised at the level of spice in this book! Personally, I loved that all types of love are addressed as equally important and the humor Herman, the talking tiny pink dragon, brought to many scenes. I am hoping to see some familiar faces and themes carried into the rest of the series.

[Eleanor Eckert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is so cozy!
In this charming witchy story we get a retelling of Jane Austins Emma.
Our Mc is offered a enchanting tea shop called steeped in love.


and when I say enchanting I mean magical vibes to the max, we got a pink dragon floating tea cups the whole thing is perfection, except that the tea house is literally alive and it has it out for Emma.
After some quick foot work they discover the Tea house loves couples so Emma decided to fake it with Riven a famous bard who Emma has been eyeing for years but hasn't been brave enough to date.
I found this book although short very enjoyable.

[Meg (fantasybook.adventurer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is SUCH A PRECIOUS novella. I’m a fool for friends to lovers and this was so perfect. Tee always has me laughing and swooning with banter and romance. She never fails to make me feel well taken care of as a reader. This story with a hilariously blunt dragon and an FMC and MMC that have been pining for the last decade, this coming together was so beautifully done with the time we had. And I would have loved to be with them a while longer!

This gave me witchy Ella Enchanted world vibes and the tension was palpable. A dash of spice and an ending that makes you kick your feet, if you need a pick me up read (especially in prep for Potions and Prejudice), this is it!!!

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this before diving into Potions & Prejudice to familiarize myself with the world building and some of the characters - it was super cute

It’s a novella so obviously a lot of things happen very quickly but it was fun and paced well. Emma and Riven are adorable together and part of me is glad I didn’t have to wait too long for them to get over themselves lol.

I’m excited to jump right into Potions & Prejudice and see more of the characters and Thistlegrove

[Alesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5🌟

Magic & Matchmaking is a super cute, cozy romantasy novella for the witchy season! What's not to love about a veeery snarky miniature dragon and a magical tea shop? I'm not typically a huge fan of the friends to lovers trope either, but it works well here. If you liked Legends & Lattes or The Spellshop, I definitely recommend giving this one a try! I'm planning to continue this series.

[Orini · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun, quick read. Tee Harlowe truly delivers on cozy fantasy. The romance just leaps from the page leaving you giddy with butterflies, flipping page after page for such a wonderful HEA. Does not disappoint.

[yasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Slumbitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute and cozy

[Courtney Holcomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it even though it was quite short.
Story ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters ⭐⭐⭐
Total 3.5 stars ✨🪄

[Midniteillusion]

The writing was very immature.
It seemed more like a creative writing exercise assigned to a Jr. High or High School student for younger grades to read.

[Heather Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joyous as always. I’m excited for this new series she’s creating.

[Escapist Romantic · Rating 3 out of 5]

In general this is a good book, especially for a prequel where so much world building is required. The writing is good, although there is some questionable use of vocabulary sprinkled throughout the book. Incorrect or odd words used, etc. The world shows promise, and I’m interested in the rest of the series. Both MC‘s are likable and written in a way that makes the reader want them to be together. I enjoy the best friends to lovers trope, but my biggest pet peeve with this book is that the basis of the story is the playboy and miscommunication tropes. I strongly dislike both. The MC‘s have been best friends for decades, and yet they can’t communicate their feelings when they almost kissed 10 years ago? Or any of the many times he’s come to visit her since then? That’s not logical. Then, Riven spent the last 10 years bedding every available woman across the country because his heart was supposedly so broken over Emma. Gross! 🤮 That makes it seem like he doesn’t love her at all which makes the love/romance in the story less believable. I could accept Riven’s playboy past if Emma had clearly (and verbally) rejected him at some time in the past. In that case, he would have a reason to be hurt and look for love/sex elsewhere in an attempt to distract himself and get over her.
Having said all that, the miscommunication near the end of the book was fine because it was necessary in order for certain conversations to happen between Emma and her dad, and Emma and Layla. It also facilitated Emma‘s growth/realizations about herself and what she wants from her life. This book is definitely worth the read, and I look forward to reading more from Tee Harlowe, but I truly hope that the payboy and miscommunication tropes do not show up in the rest of the books.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn’t bad, but it was only about 100 pages and it felt like the author didn’t prioritize the right content. Too much time was spent on setting the scenes and providing unnecessary details rather than progressing the actual plot.

This was loosely based on “Emma” but with a friends to lovers and fake dating trope. However, it lacked the necessary tension and growing feelings between the fmc and mmc. There was also a slight “second chance romance” element to this that I think threw off the pacing a lot - had the author let their relationship develop without the “almost” from a decade prior, I think it would have felt more natural.

[Teresa Ruscito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magic, witches, AND friends to lovers?! Who found my diary and gave it to this woman to use against me?! This cute prequel novella was an adorable little stand alone and such a fun easy read. I liked the hints at the next story, which I read and loved. These two longing for each other was sweet in a way that I loved. Their fake dating was cute. The magic tea shop was chaotic and meddlesome in great ways. Loved the sassy pet dragon for comedic relief. The relationship between Emma and her step father was heartwarming. I also loved that we squeezed some great tension and spice in there, three chilis 🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

I actually really enjoyed myself reading this, it was easy to read and had a good storyline. I do think that the author could of added a few things into it, but overall not that bad☺️

[The Book Nerd's Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fake dating cozy romance novella featuring a sentient tea shop, a sassy pocket dragon, and a handsome bard.

Emma Thorne has spent years working as her father's assistant in his magical creature emporium. She is quite frankly fed up with bathing invisible cats, getting clawed by griffins, and scorched by ill-behaving dragons. When out of the blue an eccentric witch that runs the magical tea shop across the street offers Emma the chance to run her shop, Emma desperately takes it. After accepting the offer, Emma finds herself as the new owner of Steeped in Love. Unfortunately, things get more complicated when the sentient tea shop decides its hates how single she is and Emma finds herself forced to fake date her childhood best friend, Riven, who also happens to be a famous bard. As the two start faking a relationship, they both start to realize that it's harder to suppress the feelings from their youth that they have been avoiding for over a decade. . .

I was hooked by everything in this story. Not only is Harlowe a powerfully emotional writer, but she pens humorous scenes with such ease. I found myself laughing aloud, tearing up, and relating immensely to the experiences that Emma is going through. For such a short read, this one packed a great punch!

I found Emma quite easy to connect with. She finds herself stuck in a mundane life, helping her father run his business and making sure that he takes care of himself. She used to have dreams to travel with her best friend, Riven, but things have since changed since her father's health has deteriorated. She fears getting out of her comfort zone, pursuing her dreams, and letting her father down, which causes her to remain stuck in the same, unhappy position.

I am at a point in my life where I have to decide if I want to move in with my longtime boyfriend or stay in my hometown with my family. There is so much doubt and uncertainty that comes with making a decision such as this, but also such freedom and chances to seize new opportunities. Emma's story resonates deeply with me due to the fact that she has to be brave enough to seize her happiness, even if it means facing great change. I find this to be super inspiring, and I admire how she learns to balance her love for her father and for her newfound lover Riven.

Riven's character isn't nearly as in depth as Emma's, but I still find him pretty neat. He's a famous bard (the medieval equivalent to a rockstar is quite comical to think about), which is an interesting career to follow. He has achieved most anything he could dream up, but he finds his life unfulfilled. Riven still struggles with keeping his longtime crush at bay for his childhood best friend. It is absolutely adorable that he feels so drawn to Emma that he returns to his hometown in the hopes that he will see her again.

The rest of the cast of characters are quite eccentric in the best way. Herman is a sassy dragon who isn't afraid to speak his mind and insults Emma quite frequently. Draven is the grumpy bar tender who happens to mesh quite well with Riven's optimistic vibes. Monty, the original owner of the tea shop, is a kindly lady who is also a bit nuts. And the tea shop itself? Iconic. It's just casually chucking plates left and right and expecting everyone to love it.

I am an absolute sucker for the childhood best friends to lovers trope. The history that two friends who have known each other for more than two decades is extremely potent and I can't deny that Emma and Riven's chemistry was instantly recognizable. The way that fake dating was handled in this novella is also my favorite usage of fake dating (i.e. two people who are both crushing on each other agree to fake date for various reasons, but in reality, they just want to kiss each other but are too shy to say so). The usage of these two tropes in tandem made for a very enjoyable romance read. Also, the sex scenes were fire due to the long pent-up energy they had from pining for each other for over a decade.

Overall, "Magic & Matchmaking" is a splendid introduction to the "Moonflower Witches" series. For a novella, I was quite moved, and I found myself so attached to Emma in just a few pages. The characters are such a fun crew, and I hope that many of them show up in the future installments in this series. This novella is a powerful introduction to Harlowe's work that I can't recommend enough. I'm grateful that I've somehow found myself on her street team and that I will be getting ARC copies of all of the books in this series!

[Sarah Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Thorne is finally getting away from the magical creature shop her father owns and she helps run. She manages to make it all the way across the street! But the tea shop she takes over has an issue with Emma - she's not in love with love. When her childhood best friend Riven comes back needing a break from all his overly enthusiastic fans, they strike a deal. They will pretend to be in a relationship to try to get the tea shop to stop trying to kill her and to keep Riven's fans from mobbing him all the time.
Emma is worrywart. She thinks that she needs to be around to take care of everything all the time. She frets over her father and his health, she worries about his shop and now the tea shop. She loves to give advice but not take it. Riven is a more carefree, easy-going person. He loves to travel and see the world. They both lack the communication skills they sorely need to let each other know how they really feel! The chemistry is obvious to everyone except each other! Even the pocket dragon, Herman. And I adore Herman! He is the perfect snarky, creature side character.
This is a cute, cozy prequel to Potions and Prejudices, book 1 in the Moonflower Witches series. We get our introduction to Thistlegrove and one of the MC's in the next book. I have already started Potions and Prejudices and am enjoying hat as well!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

On a whole, I did enjoy this novella with its dash of spicy romance. However, it did feel rushed and as if maybe it should have been read after the first book in this series when the reader has a better understanding of how everything works. The world wasn't really explained or fleshed out much. I was trying to guess how things worked far more often than I should have in a story this short.

Another thing that impacted my enjoyment of the story was the immaturity of the main character, Emma. She's supposed to be 33 but acts far more like a teenager with little understanding of the world or the consequences of trying to meddle in other people's lives. Speaking of meddling, there is an older witch lady who meddles with Emma's life that I thought was quite far-fetched and unbelievable even in the view of a magical world. It served only to annoy me instead of being cute or funny as the author no doubt intended.

I already have the first book in the series, so I will read that. I'm not sure I would have picked it up after reading this story if I hadn't already purchased it to begin with. This was overall enjoyable enough for a lightweight read but a bit forgettable.

[Pittoresque · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed 'Potions & Prejudice', the first book in the Moonflower Witches series, so I was more than happy to read this novella I received for free via Tee Harlowe's newsletter. This is a prequel to the main series, and set in the same quaint little witch town of Thistlegrove, where we meet a lot of the same quirky characters. At some point, I felt like some smaller details didn't completely fit in with where the next book takes off - this might be because this one was genuinly written first and the other didn't go back to edit the details, or it might be to not give away any mayor plot points of P&P - either way, I didn't go back to check, as it wasn't severe enough to break my immersion.

The book itself it a cute little story about a pair of child hood friends and the missunderstandings that lead to them never becoming more than friends, despite both of them clearly being interested. Nothing too deep, but a fun and quick read.

We also meet a new miniature dragon - I hope their siblings will make their way into future books of the series - oh and I definitly need spin offs about Morty and some of the other side characters at some point!