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The Scottish Charms #2
A Taste of Magic
Scotland’s most magical small town is back as another MacGregor witch takes the spotlight in this follow-up to the “heartwarming, delightful, and enchanting” (Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author) national bestseller Love’s a Witch.
She’s hexed. He’s her ex. And if they can’t bake in harmony, Briarhaven’s big cooking competition might just go up in smoke.
Lyra MacGregor’s magic is as unpredictable as her love life—especially when her spellwork starts misfiring during the filming of Briarhaven’s favorite reality TV Bewitching Bake-Off. Even worse? She’s paired with Rabbie Campbell, her high school sweetheart turned heartbreak.
He’s never baked a thing in his life. She turns spoons into hedgehogs when he’s nearby. But with the cameras rolling, the curse deepening, and old sparks reigniting, they’ll have to cook up more than just a winning cake to survive. Because in Briarhaven, baking is spellwork, and love is the trickiest recipe of all.
She’s hexed. He’s her ex. And if they can’t bake in harmony, Briarhaven’s big cooking competition might just go up in smoke.
Lyra MacGregor’s magic is as unpredictable as her love life—especially when her spellwork starts misfiring during the filming of Briarhaven’s favorite reality TV Bewitching Bake-Off. Even worse? She’s paired with Rabbie Campbell, her high school sweetheart turned heartbreak.
He’s never baked a thing in his life. She turns spoons into hedgehogs when he’s nearby. But with the cameras rolling, the curse deepening, and old sparks reigniting, they’ll have to cook up more than just a winning cake to survive. Because in Briarhaven, baking is spellwork, and love is the trickiest recipe of all.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 25, 2026
About the author
Tricia O'Malley
75 books2,839 followersAs an award winning NY Times, USA Today, and WSJ bestselling author, Tricia O’Malley’s infectious joy in writing romance with an added dash of the magical has touched hearts around the world. With over three million books read, O’Malley’s stories have been translated into several languages and enjoy a devoted following. Tricia O’Malley is a native of Wisconsin, and departed the wintry tundra for warmer locales five years ago. She now lives in the Caribbean with her handsome Scotsman.
An avid scuba diver, Tricia spends much of her time underwater dreaming up new stories while photographing the beautiful sea life. Tricia loves fun vacation reads, believes in mermaids, and has a serious travel addiction. She discovers her inspiration on the go – and you’ll find her books set in beautiful settings with characters who deserve a happily-ever-after.
To see some of her underwater or island life photos visit her on Facebook, Instagram, or join her mailing list at www.triciaomalley.com
An avid scuba diver, Tricia spends much of her time underwater dreaming up new stories while photographing the beautiful sea life. Tricia loves fun vacation reads, believes in mermaids, and has a serious travel addiction. She discovers her inspiration on the go – and you’ll find her books set in beautiful settings with characters who deserve a happily-ever-after.
To see some of her underwater or island life photos visit her on Facebook, Instagram, or join her mailing list at www.triciaomalley.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
August 25, 2026
Thank you to Gallery Books for the chance to read an advance copy of A Taste Of Magic, the second book in the Scottish Charms series by Tricia O’Malley. This one was just as much fun as the first book in the series, Love’s A Witch. You can certainly read this as a standalone but you won’t understand all the characters and their backstory as well without having read Love’s A Witch first, so I’m glad I went back and read that before starting A Taste Of Magic.
If you enjoy a romance in a cozy magical setting, featuring witches and a variety of magical creatures, along with some very handsome Scottish men, you’ll enjoy this series. We are back in Briarhaven, a small town where “magickals” can feel at home and where non-magical tourists are welcome. The first book concentrated on oldest sister, Sloane, and this one features the second sister, Lyra. The MacGregors have been dealing with a generations-long family curse, which has meant they’ve had to pick up and move from place to place too often to suit Lyra. They are now back in Briarhaven with their beloved witch grandmother, Broca, and are trying to break the curse, which apparently can only be done one sister at a time. The curse is manifesting as constant darkness this time (for Sloane, it manifested as constant snowstorms!) and even though it’s autumn, it’s way too dark to be normal dreary Scottish weather, so people are upset and tourists are leaving. This is a major problem for the town!
Rab was Lyra’s first love as a teenager, before her family was forced to leave Briarhaven. There was a major misunderstanding/miscommunication that left them angry with each other for the intervening years. I don’t like miscommunication as a theme in general, but I can forgive it this time because they were both young teens at the time.
A magical baking reality show is coming to town to film a special Christmas-themed edition of the show and Lyra, who has a baking YouTube show, gets to be a contestant. But at age 25, her magic is just starting to bloom and she doesn’t have full control of it yet. And for this contest, you must use magic in your baking!
Rab is reluctantly recruited to also go on the baking show, even though he’s never baked, and sparks fly (among other things) when he winds up paired with Lyra for the show. There are some chaotic and funny moments when Lyra’s magic goes haywire, both at home and on set.
I loved the grumpy/sunshine and second chance themes here. And the familiars are quite unusual and absolutely delightful. I can’t wait for the next book, which I imagine will focus on the third sister, Nova.
NOTE: There are definitely some spicy scenes.
If you enjoy a romance in a cozy magical setting, featuring witches and a variety of magical creatures, along with some very handsome Scottish men, you’ll enjoy this series. We are back in Briarhaven, a small town where “magickals” can feel at home and where non-magical tourists are welcome. The first book concentrated on oldest sister, Sloane, and this one features the second sister, Lyra. The MacGregors have been dealing with a generations-long family curse, which has meant they’ve had to pick up and move from place to place too often to suit Lyra. They are now back in Briarhaven with their beloved witch grandmother, Broca, and are trying to break the curse, which apparently can only be done one sister at a time. The curse is manifesting as constant darkness this time (for Sloane, it manifested as constant snowstorms!) and even though it’s autumn, it’s way too dark to be normal dreary Scottish weather, so people are upset and tourists are leaving. This is a major problem for the town!
Rab was Lyra’s first love as a teenager, before her family was forced to leave Briarhaven. There was a major misunderstanding/miscommunication that left them angry with each other for the intervening years. I don’t like miscommunication as a theme in general, but I can forgive it this time because they were both young teens at the time.
A magical baking reality show is coming to town to film a special Christmas-themed edition of the show and Lyra, who has a baking YouTube show, gets to be a contestant. But at age 25, her magic is just starting to bloom and she doesn’t have full control of it yet. And for this contest, you must use magic in your baking!
Rab is reluctantly recruited to also go on the baking show, even though he’s never baked, and sparks fly (among other things) when he winds up paired with Lyra for the show. There are some chaotic and funny moments when Lyra’s magic goes haywire, both at home and on set.
I loved the grumpy/sunshine and second chance themes here. And the familiars are quite unusual and absolutely delightful. I can’t wait for the next book, which I imagine will focus on the third sister, Nova.
NOTE: There are definitely some spicy scenes.
Read
August 23, 2026 My Master Post on the Best Rated Witchy Fall Romance Books With Cozy Vibes has all the cozy fall and winter paranormal romance books you need to know about.
A Taste of Magic by Tricia O’Malley is book two in the Scottish Charms series, set in the small Scotland town of Briarhaven, where all the residents are magic, and the tourists think it’s all pretend. I think a Taste of Magic can be read as a standalone, but you’ll probably want to read book one first since that's where many of the characters were already introduced.
For me, the best part of this second chance romance was the YEARNING. Is there anything better than yearning??? Clearly there is a misunderstanding at the root of Lyra and Rabbie's breakup, and it’s fun waiting to find out what it was, as these two former lovebirds are still clearly crazy about each other.
As a fan of GBBO, I thought the bake-off was also so much fun, involving multiple town residents and some good-natured kitchen rivalry. And the Charms coven, a group of witches who socialize, help each other, and practice a little magic, are fun to hang out with.
If you’re looking for a witchy fall romance, A Taste of Magic is a wonderful pick. The Scotland setting is autumn perfection and the plot was funny and touchingly romantic.
A Taste of Magic by Tricia O’Malley is book two in the Scottish Charms series, set in the small Scotland town of Briarhaven, where all the residents are magic, and the tourists think it’s all pretend. I think a Taste of Magic can be read as a standalone, but you’ll probably want to read book one first since that's where many of the characters were already introduced.
For me, the best part of this second chance romance was the YEARNING. Is there anything better than yearning??? Clearly there is a misunderstanding at the root of Lyra and Rabbie's breakup, and it’s fun waiting to find out what it was, as these two former lovebirds are still clearly crazy about each other.
As a fan of GBBO, I thought the bake-off was also so much fun, involving multiple town residents and some good-natured kitchen rivalry. And the Charms coven, a group of witches who socialize, help each other, and practice a little magic, are fun to hang out with.
If you’re looking for a witchy fall romance, A Taste of Magic is a wonderful pick. The Scotland setting is autumn perfection and the plot was funny and touchingly romantic.
Want to Read
March 25, 2026🧁✨ A Taste of Magic ✨🪄
📖 Bookish Thoughts
I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.
💖 What to Expect
• Witchy romance
• Baking competition
• Reality show
• Misfiring magic
• Forced proximity
• Second chance romance
• Small town
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: August 25, 2026
📝 Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
📖 Bookish Thoughts
I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.
💖 What to Expect
• Witchy romance
• Baking competition
• Reality show
• Misfiring magic
• Forced proximity
• Second chance romance
• Small town
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: August 25, 2026
📝 Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
June 25, 2026
Whimsical, cozy, and charming! A Taste of Magic is a joy to read! This is a second book in a series and while it can be read as a standalone, you will get a deeper understanding of the characters and over arching plot if you read them in order. Having read the first book prior to this, I absolutely loved returning to this world!
Lyra is our FMC, and the second sister in a trio of sisters that are cursed. They recently returned to the hometown in efforts to break their family’s curse and return the town to normal. Lyra loves baking and has entered her favorite reality bake off show in hopes to keep growing. But things get messy when her magic arrives and is not working properly. Add in that she is paired with her ex and things really start heat up in the kitchen! Rab, our MMC, is a town accountant and Lyra past love. He talked into doing the baking show to help the town but is surprised to learn he is paired with the one person he avoids at all cost. These two both hold secrets and hurts that get in the way of things. Can they move past it in time for the show and to save the town?
Thank you NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Tricia O’Malley for this eARC!
Lyra is our FMC, and the second sister in a trio of sisters that are cursed. They recently returned to the hometown in efforts to break their family’s curse and return the town to normal. Lyra loves baking and has entered her favorite reality bake off show in hopes to keep growing. But things get messy when her magic arrives and is not working properly. Add in that she is paired with her ex and things really start heat up in the kitchen! Rab, our MMC, is a town accountant and Lyra past love. He talked into doing the baking show to help the town but is surprised to learn he is paired with the one person he avoids at all cost. These two both hold secrets and hurts that get in the way of things. Can they move past it in time for the show and to save the town?
Thank you NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Tricia O’Malley for this eARC!
August 29, 2026
4.5 stars really!
Another winner in this series! I loved all the characters once again in this small town. And Lyra and Rabbie had the past that of course was all based on a misunderstanding on both of their parts. Which can be annoying, however in this story even as I was irritated that they didn’t just talk about that event, I loved the way the author had them end up sharing their own views on that day. It was unique in my opinion, so different than just sitting and explaining it all. Now it didn’t come till later in the story, and the two of them had kind of already agreed to be friends and made up a bit despite that past.
Just like with her sister Sloane in the first book, Lyra’s powers show up and of course it isn’t easy. In fact they seem to want to do the exact opposite of what she is trying to have them do. And as a baker, that makes for some wild situations. Especially as Lyra ends up on a baking competition show, with her surprise partner being Rabbie. While he learns some things about her new powers that he learned when he got his own and is able to help her with that, they also realize together they can overcome the issues for the most part as well. And I love the little issue that happens whenever Lyra thinks sexy thoughts about him, lol.
In the first book Sloane ended up with an adorable ember wolf for her familiar. Lyra gets an adorable but fierce flutter mouse as hers. We get so much time with the other town’s characters in this book, and we can see it is leading to the next book, the youngest sister’s book obviously. I enjoyed the baking show as well, so many yummy sounding dishes. And the way they added the magic to them was a lot of fun too!
Now, I do have one beef with the story. In the first book Sloane’s magic issues made it snow all the time to the point where people got stuck. In this book thanks to Lyra’s powers, it becomes dark all day long, causing issues for those non-magical tourists, as well as even an issue with the owls hunting in the surrounding forest. And when things get “fixed” for Lyra at the end, I couldn’t find anywhere this dark issue was addressed. But surely they did fix it like with Sloan’s snow, right?
While the other book in another series I tried by this author was a bit of a miss for me, this series continues with this second book to be a winner. It’s an easy read, with humor, banter, and only about one real steamy scene. And the second book also has pretty edged pages like the first one did, so I had to order a physical copy for my shelves.
Another winner in this series! I loved all the characters once again in this small town. And Lyra and Rabbie had the past that of course was all based on a misunderstanding on both of their parts. Which can be annoying, however in this story even as I was irritated that they didn’t just talk about that event, I loved the way the author had them end up sharing their own views on that day. It was unique in my opinion, so different than just sitting and explaining it all. Now it didn’t come till later in the story, and the two of them had kind of already agreed to be friends and made up a bit despite that past.
Just like with her sister Sloane in the first book, Lyra’s powers show up and of course it isn’t easy. In fact they seem to want to do the exact opposite of what she is trying to have them do. And as a baker, that makes for some wild situations. Especially as Lyra ends up on a baking competition show, with her surprise partner being Rabbie. While he learns some things about her new powers that he learned when he got his own and is able to help her with that, they also realize together they can overcome the issues for the most part as well. And I love the little issue that happens whenever Lyra thinks sexy thoughts about him, lol.
In the first book Sloane ended up with an adorable ember wolf for her familiar. Lyra gets an adorable but fierce flutter mouse as hers. We get so much time with the other town’s characters in this book, and we can see it is leading to the next book, the youngest sister’s book obviously. I enjoyed the baking show as well, so many yummy sounding dishes. And the way they added the magic to them was a lot of fun too!
Now, I do have one beef with the story. In the first book Sloane’s magic issues made it snow all the time to the point where people got stuck. In this book thanks to Lyra’s powers, it becomes dark all day long, causing issues for those non-magical tourists, as well as even an issue with the owls hunting in the surrounding forest. And when things get “fixed” for Lyra at the end, I couldn’t find anywhere this dark issue was addressed. But surely they did fix it like with Sloan’s snow, right?
While the other book in another series I tried by this author was a bit of a miss for me, this series continues with this second book to be a winner. It’s an easy read, with humor, banter, and only about one real steamy scene. And the second book also has pretty edged pages like the first one did, so I had to order a physical copy for my shelves.
August 26, 2026
4.5/5
Lyra loves baking and when she learns that her favourite baking show is going to be shot in her town, she knows she needs to audition. But when the curse that plagued her family starts making her magic go haywire, she's not sure if she's ready to face the camera. Especially when her partner turns out to be her ex-boyfriend.
Competing in the baking show was the last thing on Rab's mind, but then his friend asked for a favour; he couldn't say no. And when his ex is revealed to be his baking partner, he's not sure if it makes it better or worse.
Sparks fly, and hedgehogs appear when Lyra's curse throws the town into darkness and the kitchen into disarray. Lyra and Rab must work together to contain the chaos.
This book was cozy and enchanting, and I loved it. Both Lyra and Rab were fantastic - both as exes trying to pick up the broken pieces and as characters. I loved Lyra's family, and her familiar was just adorable.
The reveal of Lyra's magic was great, and I enjoyed what her magic was supposed to be and the mishaps the curse created. I wish we'd seen more of them doing the research on how to break the curse, though. And I wonder who gifted Lyra the grimoire!
I now can't wait to read Nova's book next year. I loved the little sneak peek we've got, and I can't wait for the full book!
Tropes:
- exes to lovers
- second chance
- lovers to enemies to lovers
- small town
- magic & mayhem
- witches
- forced proximity
Lyra loves baking and when she learns that her favourite baking show is going to be shot in her town, she knows she needs to audition. But when the curse that plagued her family starts making her magic go haywire, she's not sure if she's ready to face the camera. Especially when her partner turns out to be her ex-boyfriend.
Competing in the baking show was the last thing on Rab's mind, but then his friend asked for a favour; he couldn't say no. And when his ex is revealed to be his baking partner, he's not sure if it makes it better or worse.
Sparks fly, and hedgehogs appear when Lyra's curse throws the town into darkness and the kitchen into disarray. Lyra and Rab must work together to contain the chaos.
This book was cozy and enchanting, and I loved it. Both Lyra and Rab were fantastic - both as exes trying to pick up the broken pieces and as characters. I loved Lyra's family, and her familiar was just adorable.
The reveal of Lyra's magic was great, and I enjoyed what her magic was supposed to be and the mishaps the curse created. I wish we'd seen more of them doing the research on how to break the curse, though. And I wonder who gifted Lyra the grimoire!
I now can't wait to read Nova's book next year. I loved the little sneak peek we've got, and I can't wait for the full book!
Tropes:
- exes to lovers
- second chance
- lovers to enemies to lovers
- small town
- magic & mayhem
- witches
- forced proximity
August 25, 2026
Rounding up from 4.5 stars. Thanks to Gallery Books for the gifted copy. Thoughts are mine.
I really enjoyed this book! I actually liked it slightly more than the first book in the series. I loved the magical reality baking show storyline and how it pulled Lyra and Rab together. I enjoyed seeing them move through the stages of trying to avoid each other into admitting they still had feelings to full on dating. And the ending was perfectly set up for Nova and Jack in book three! 😍
While this can technically be read as a standalone, you will be missing some backstory if you don't read book 1, Loves a Witch, first.
Would I recommend? Absolutely! This series is a perfect cozy fall, witchy romance.
What to expect:
• Second chance romance
• Fiercely loyal, but cute, familiar
• Small-town setting
• Reality show backdrop
• Witchy fiction
• Generational curse
I really enjoyed this book! I actually liked it slightly more than the first book in the series. I loved the magical reality baking show storyline and how it pulled Lyra and Rab together. I enjoyed seeing them move through the stages of trying to avoid each other into admitting they still had feelings to full on dating. And the ending was perfectly set up for Nova and Jack in book three! 😍
While this can technically be read as a standalone, you will be missing some backstory if you don't read book 1, Loves a Witch, first.
Would I recommend? Absolutely! This series is a perfect cozy fall, witchy romance.
What to expect:
• Second chance romance
• Fiercely loyal, but cute, familiar
• Small-town setting
• Reality show backdrop
• Witchy fiction
• Generational curse
July 8, 2026
I was able to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this title thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, Love's a Witch, so I was excited to read this second installment featuring the middle sister, Lyra.
Lyra is a loveable chef who has always made the best of their family's curse. When she and her sisters returned to their magical Scottish hometown with the goal of finally setting down actual roots and breaking the curse that has plagued their family for generations, she is forced to come face to face with her teenage love, Rab. Lyra and Rab have never really gotten over one another, but their final encounter that broke both of their hearts appears to be a misunderstanding. When Lyra and Rab are forced to team up on a popular baking show, they have to face their past and finally communicate what happened many years ago.
This one is cozy and sweet. I would have liked a little more about the curse in this one, and I felt like there were a number of unanswered questions, but I will certainly pick up book three when it comes out to see if all of my questions are answered.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, Love's a Witch, so I was excited to read this second installment featuring the middle sister, Lyra.
Lyra is a loveable chef who has always made the best of their family's curse. When she and her sisters returned to their magical Scottish hometown with the goal of finally setting down actual roots and breaking the curse that has plagued their family for generations, she is forced to come face to face with her teenage love, Rab. Lyra and Rab have never really gotten over one another, but their final encounter that broke both of their hearts appears to be a misunderstanding. When Lyra and Rab are forced to team up on a popular baking show, they have to face their past and finally communicate what happened many years ago.
This one is cozy and sweet. I would have liked a little more about the curse in this one, and I felt like there were a number of unanswered questions, but I will certainly pick up book three when it comes out to see if all of my questions are answered.
March 29, 2026
I’m not usually a fan of the second chance trope, but this was so well done. I really enjoyed seeing Rab and Lyra come back to one another while competing in the baking show. Ruth is a perfect familiar and I loved her spunk!
Plot: 8/10
Magic system: 3.5/5
Spice level: 2/5
Plot: 8/10
Magic system: 3.5/5
Spice level: 2/5
April 5, 2026
I liked A Taste of Magic but I think I preferred the first book more. I love GBBO and loved the baking show aspect of it. I found Lyra to be charming and lovely! I love this setting so much and will definitely read the next book in the series. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Tricia O’Malley’s A Taste of Magic had me on the patio before sunrise with coffee in hand, happily back in Briarhaven and wondering why my own kitchen has never produced a single magical hedgehog. Thank you so much to Gallery Books, Simon & Schuster Audio, and Libro.fm for the gifted copies. And really, who decided a witchy Scottish town plus a baking competition plus an ex-boyfriend was a combination I was supposed to resist?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is the second Scottish Charms book, and this time we get Lyra MacGregor’s story. Lyra loves baking, but her newly arrived magic is basically doing whatever it wants. So naturally this is the ideal moment for her to compete on Briarhaven’s Bewitching Bake-Off. Even better, she gets paired with Rabbie Campbell, her high school sweetheart and the man she absolutely has not completely gotten over.
Nothing could possibly go wrong.
Except spoons turning into hedgehogs, magical baking disasters, a family curse getting increasingly troublesome, and two people discovering that maybe the story they’ve been telling themselves about their breakup all these years isn’t exactly what happened.
I loved Lyra. She’s optimistic and a little chaotic, but underneath all that sparkle is someone who has spent years protecting herself from wanting things she wasn’t sure she could keep. Rabbie is her opposite in so many ways—steady, quietly swoony, and very clearly still carrying a torch that never went out. Put those two together in a kitchen with unpredictable magic and cameras rolling, and I was thoroughly entertained.
And Ruth? Ruth deserves her own book and possibly her own tiny sword. She completely stole scenes.
I listened to a good portion of this one on audio, and Siobhan Waring and John Hartley made Briarhaven feel even more alive. Waring brings exactly the right warmth and chaotic energy to Lyra, while Hartley gives Rabbie that calm, grounded quality that makes their differences work so well. And those Scottish accents? I could have happily kept listening long after my commute ended. The dual narration made the second-chance romance especially fun because you really feel both sides of all that old hurt and very obvious yearning.
Between the magical holiday baking challenges, the Scottish setting, the sisterhood, the familiars, and a romance built around first love finding its way home again, this was such a cozy escape. Now I’m completely invested in that MacGregor curse and ready for the next sister’s story.
What’s one second-chance romance that completely won you over?
#ATasteOfMagic #TriciaOMalley #ScottishCharms #CozyFantasy #Romantasy #WitchyRomance #SecondChanceRomance #AudiobookReview #Bookstagram
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is the second Scottish Charms book, and this time we get Lyra MacGregor’s story. Lyra loves baking, but her newly arrived magic is basically doing whatever it wants. So naturally this is the ideal moment for her to compete on Briarhaven’s Bewitching Bake-Off. Even better, she gets paired with Rabbie Campbell, her high school sweetheart and the man she absolutely has not completely gotten over.
Nothing could possibly go wrong.
Except spoons turning into hedgehogs, magical baking disasters, a family curse getting increasingly troublesome, and two people discovering that maybe the story they’ve been telling themselves about their breakup all these years isn’t exactly what happened.
I loved Lyra. She’s optimistic and a little chaotic, but underneath all that sparkle is someone who has spent years protecting herself from wanting things she wasn’t sure she could keep. Rabbie is her opposite in so many ways—steady, quietly swoony, and very clearly still carrying a torch that never went out. Put those two together in a kitchen with unpredictable magic and cameras rolling, and I was thoroughly entertained.
And Ruth? Ruth deserves her own book and possibly her own tiny sword. She completely stole scenes.
I listened to a good portion of this one on audio, and Siobhan Waring and John Hartley made Briarhaven feel even more alive. Waring brings exactly the right warmth and chaotic energy to Lyra, while Hartley gives Rabbie that calm, grounded quality that makes their differences work so well. And those Scottish accents? I could have happily kept listening long after my commute ended. The dual narration made the second-chance romance especially fun because you really feel both sides of all that old hurt and very obvious yearning.
Between the magical holiday baking challenges, the Scottish setting, the sisterhood, the familiars, and a romance built around first love finding its way home again, this was such a cozy escape. Now I’m completely invested in that MacGregor curse and ready for the next sister’s story.
What’s one second-chance romance that completely won you over?
#ATasteOfMagic #TriciaOMalley #ScottishCharms #CozyFantasy #Romantasy #WitchyRomance #SecondChanceRomance #AudiobookReview #Bookstagram
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A Taste of Magic by Tricia O'Malley
The Scottish Charms Book #2
4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (rounded up to a 5)
Spice: 1.5/5
Cursing: min
Format/Source: ebook ARC from NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Gallery Books
Genres/Tropes: cozy fantasy romance, magic, witches, small town, second chance
Audience: Adult
Setting: Scotland
Quotes: “The people you love will always hurt you. Being in love doesn’t stop you from causing one another pain. It’s the ones who hold on, who work through those hurts, that last. They know that demanding perfection of one another is an impossible ask. That’s real love. A little bit of grace can go a long way" - Ruth
Characters: Sloane, Knox, Lyra, Rabbie, Marcie, Broca, Raven, Liam, Vaughn, Mandy, Felicia
👍 short chapters, multi POV, Scotland, witches, magic, magical pets, plus-sized FMC, continuation of story, bake-off reality TV show
👎 cursing
Description:
She’s hexed. He’s her ex. And if they can’t bake in harmony, Briarhaven’s big cooking competition might just go up in smoke.
Lyra MacGregor’s magic is as unpredictable as her love life—especially when her spellwork starts misfiring during the filming of Briarhaven’s favorite reality TV Bewitching Bake-Off. Even worse? She’s paired with Rabbie Campbell, her high school sweetheart turned heartbreak.
He’s never baked a thing in his life. She turns spoons into hedgehogs when he’s nearby. But with the cameras rolling, the curse deepening, and old sparks reigniting, they’ll have to cook up more than just a winning cake to survive. Because in Briarhaven, baking is spellwork, and love is the trickiest recipe of all.
My opinion:
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, especially the magical aspects (town, creatures, people, bake off reality TV show, etc). Another great installment in the Scottish Charms series! I recommend this book to all who love cozy romantic fantasies.
#bookstagram #booklovers #romancebooks #fantasybooks #cozy
The Scottish Charms Book #2
4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (rounded up to a 5)
Spice: 1.5/5
Cursing: min
Format/Source: ebook ARC from NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Gallery Books
Genres/Tropes: cozy fantasy romance, magic, witches, small town, second chance
Audience: Adult
Setting: Scotland
Quotes: “The people you love will always hurt you. Being in love doesn’t stop you from causing one another pain. It’s the ones who hold on, who work through those hurts, that last. They know that demanding perfection of one another is an impossible ask. That’s real love. A little bit of grace can go a long way" - Ruth
Characters: Sloane, Knox, Lyra, Rabbie, Marcie, Broca, Raven, Liam, Vaughn, Mandy, Felicia
👍 short chapters, multi POV, Scotland, witches, magic, magical pets, plus-sized FMC, continuation of story, bake-off reality TV show
👎 cursing
Description:
She’s hexed. He’s her ex. And if they can’t bake in harmony, Briarhaven’s big cooking competition might just go up in smoke.
Lyra MacGregor’s magic is as unpredictable as her love life—especially when her spellwork starts misfiring during the filming of Briarhaven’s favorite reality TV Bewitching Bake-Off. Even worse? She’s paired with Rabbie Campbell, her high school sweetheart turned heartbreak.
He’s never baked a thing in his life. She turns spoons into hedgehogs when he’s nearby. But with the cameras rolling, the curse deepening, and old sparks reigniting, they’ll have to cook up more than just a winning cake to survive. Because in Briarhaven, baking is spellwork, and love is the trickiest recipe of all.
My opinion:
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, especially the magical aspects (town, creatures, people, bake off reality TV show, etc). Another great installment in the Scottish Charms series! I recommend this book to all who love cozy romantic fantasies.
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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Paired with ex for the Bewitching Bake-Off, Lyra must try to wrangle her magick while dealing with the MacGregor curse and her broken heart.
What a fun return to Briarhaven! This story picks up about a year after the last book. Lyra had finally come into her magick which was unreliable, but she was determined to get it under control as the sisters continued to deal with the MacGregor curse.
All the things that endeared me to Briarhaven in the previous installment were still a delight. The sisters, the small town, the banter, the celebrations, the familiars, the magick - it all still ran strong through the story, but we had the added fun of a reality show this time.
The Bewitched Bake-Off was a definite highlight for me. First of all, it was Christmas themed, so I was hooked right there, but we also got to witness some wild magical baking challenges. As if the demands of these challenges were not enough, Lyra and Rabbie had to accomplish them with Lyra's broken magick. Needless to say, as a result, there were many hilarious and slapstick moments to enjoy.
And then, there was the romance. I am fool for second-chance romances, so this was right up my alley. It was a bit frustrating that both Lyra and Rab were missing some vital details of the night that broke BOTH their hearts, but I will say, I enjoyed all the yearning and tension and mucked up magick that resulted in scenes that made me smile, sigh, and giggle.
Overall, this was another successful visit to Briarhaven packed with fun, festivities, family, food, and lots of love.
*ARC provided by publisher
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Paired with ex for the Bewitching Bake-Off, Lyra must try to wrangle her magick while dealing with the MacGregor curse and her broken heart.
What a fun return to Briarhaven! This story picks up about a year after the last book. Lyra had finally come into her magick which was unreliable, but she was determined to get it under control as the sisters continued to deal with the MacGregor curse.
All the things that endeared me to Briarhaven in the previous installment were still a delight. The sisters, the small town, the banter, the celebrations, the familiars, the magick - it all still ran strong through the story, but we had the added fun of a reality show this time.
The Bewitched Bake-Off was a definite highlight for me. First of all, it was Christmas themed, so I was hooked right there, but we also got to witness some wild magical baking challenges. As if the demands of these challenges were not enough, Lyra and Rabbie had to accomplish them with Lyra's broken magick. Needless to say, as a result, there were many hilarious and slapstick moments to enjoy.
And then, there was the romance. I am fool for second-chance romances, so this was right up my alley. It was a bit frustrating that both Lyra and Rab were missing some vital details of the night that broke BOTH their hearts, but I will say, I enjoyed all the yearning and tension and mucked up magick that resulted in scenes that made me smile, sigh, and giggle.
Overall, this was another successful visit to Briarhaven packed with fun, festivities, family, food, and lots of love.
*ARC provided by publisher
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you Gallery Books for the gifted advanced reader copy of A Taste of Magic (all opinions are mine)!
This was a cute and cozy read that’s perfect for fall! This is the second book in The Scottish Charms series but I do think you could read this without reading Love’s A Witch first. However, this does expand on some stuff in the universe so I recommend the first book too!
We all know I love a second chance romance and this was a second chance romance that was very well done! The backstory complimented Lyra and Rab so well and I love how they overcame some miscommunication from the past to form their current relationship. My guy Rab was down baadddd and honestly, we love to see it!
I really enjoyed the television show plot line and thought it was a unique lens to explore the romance through. I love that Rab was learning something new and Lyra, though her rogue magic got in the way, was still able to shine creatively in the kitchen. I loved the expansion of Briarhaven in this one and the setting of a small witchy town in Scotland was one of my favorite parts of this book. And of course, shout out to Ruth, the cutest and fiercest familiar there ever was! Seriously, she made bits of the story for me. I loved her relationship with Lyra!
This story had a great conclusion and I loved the little wink at the next book in the Scottish Charms series at the end. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
I will say, I think there could’ve been a little more depth in character development and world building, so I’m rating this 4 stars! Still, this was super cozy with perfect fall/witchy/October vibes, so I definitely recommend you check it out if that’s what you’re looking for this fall!
Thanks again to Gallery Books, A Taste of Magic releases August 25th!
This was a cute and cozy read that’s perfect for fall! This is the second book in The Scottish Charms series but I do think you could read this without reading Love’s A Witch first. However, this does expand on some stuff in the universe so I recommend the first book too!
We all know I love a second chance romance and this was a second chance romance that was very well done! The backstory complimented Lyra and Rab so well and I love how they overcame some miscommunication from the past to form their current relationship. My guy Rab was down baadddd and honestly, we love to see it!
I really enjoyed the television show plot line and thought it was a unique lens to explore the romance through. I love that Rab was learning something new and Lyra, though her rogue magic got in the way, was still able to shine creatively in the kitchen. I loved the expansion of Briarhaven in this one and the setting of a small witchy town in Scotland was one of my favorite parts of this book. And of course, shout out to Ruth, the cutest and fiercest familiar there ever was! Seriously, she made bits of the story for me. I loved her relationship with Lyra!
This story had a great conclusion and I loved the little wink at the next book in the Scottish Charms series at the end. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
I will say, I think there could’ve been a little more depth in character development and world building, so I’m rating this 4 stars! Still, this was super cozy with perfect fall/witchy/October vibes, so I definitely recommend you check it out if that’s what you’re looking for this fall!
Thanks again to Gallery Books, A Taste of Magic releases August 25th!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A delightful cozy romantasy with small-town Scottish charm. There's a family curse, a baking competition show, and a heartwarming second-chance romance. This was sweet and satisfying!
Full of enchanted treats and witchy cottagecore vibes, this follows Lyra, a chaotic witch and social media star baker, and her former teenage boyfriend, Rab, as they navigate a magical reality baking show, unpredictable magic, Lyra's family curse, and reignited feelings. They share a slow burn, second-chance romance with emotional depth, mutual respect, and palpable chemistry.
This features a Great British Bake Off style baking reality show with some imaginative challenges and holiday treats. It was a fun way to see Lyra and Rab have a bit of forced proximity. Thanks to Lyra's family curse, her magic is erratic, and this closeness triggers unpredictable magical reactions that she cannot anticipate or control, providing some fun situational comedy.
The characters are warm and charming, from the community to Lyra's family to her spirited and fiercely loyal animal familiar Ruth. This is a heartwarming choice for fall reading and a sweet treat for fans of magical realism and witchy stories.
Siobhan Waring and John Hartley narrate the audiobook, and I could listen to them all day. Their Scottish accents immerse you in the atmosphere of Briarhaven, and each of them brings their characters to life. Waring nails the funny, chaotic vibe of Lyra's unpredictable magic while Hartley brings warmth and steady calm to the swoony Scottish hero. Both print and audio formats are great, but I ended up switching exclusively to audio because it was so good and their accents so lovely.
Thank you Gallery Books, Simon & Schuster Audio, and Libro.FM for the gifted review copies
Full of enchanted treats and witchy cottagecore vibes, this follows Lyra, a chaotic witch and social media star baker, and her former teenage boyfriend, Rab, as they navigate a magical reality baking show, unpredictable magic, Lyra's family curse, and reignited feelings. They share a slow burn, second-chance romance with emotional depth, mutual respect, and palpable chemistry.
This features a Great British Bake Off style baking reality show with some imaginative challenges and holiday treats. It was a fun way to see Lyra and Rab have a bit of forced proximity. Thanks to Lyra's family curse, her magic is erratic, and this closeness triggers unpredictable magical reactions that she cannot anticipate or control, providing some fun situational comedy.
The characters are warm and charming, from the community to Lyra's family to her spirited and fiercely loyal animal familiar Ruth. This is a heartwarming choice for fall reading and a sweet treat for fans of magical realism and witchy stories.
Siobhan Waring and John Hartley narrate the audiobook, and I could listen to them all day. Their Scottish accents immerse you in the atmosphere of Briarhaven, and each of them brings their characters to life. Waring nails the funny, chaotic vibe of Lyra's unpredictable magic while Hartley brings warmth and steady calm to the swoony Scottish hero. Both print and audio formats are great, but I ended up switching exclusively to audio because it was so good and their accents so lovely.
Thank you Gallery Books, Simon & Schuster Audio, and Libro.FM for the gifted review copies
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A Taste of Magic is a fun, witchy PNR, and a perfect way to kick off my autumn reading. The cozy feel is established by a tight knit family of witches (3 sisters and their grandmother), a magical town filled with various supes, and a magical baking show. To keep the plot from being too comfortable, there's plenty of tension added by a family curse attached to the sisters, and by Lyra, the FMC, finding out that her partner on the baking show she's been so excited to participate in will be none other than her high school boyfriend and first love, Rabbie. Their relationship ended badly 10 years ago in a big misunderstanding, and neither of them has been able to on. On top of all this, Lyra's hearth magic, which she's only recently come into, is being wildly unpredictable leaving her unable to bake with any kind of confidence.
Lyra and Rabbie must battle their way through both their former miscommunication, as well as Lyra's inability to control her magic to find the happy ending they are both longing for. I loved Lyra's optimism, enthusiasm, and determination to make the most of the difficult circumstances she has experienced due to the family curse. She's a caring, loving sister, wanting to bring joy to the world through her baking. Rabbie is just as caring and dedicated to his friends and his magical hometown. He's the quiet, steady presence that grounds Lyra and gives her a solid foundation. Much as I enjoyed their romance though, I was confused at the way the book ended with a major plot point regarding the curse left unresolved. Hopefully the third book will provide an explanation. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
Lyra and Rabbie must battle their way through both their former miscommunication, as well as Lyra's inability to control her magic to find the happy ending they are both longing for. I loved Lyra's optimism, enthusiasm, and determination to make the most of the difficult circumstances she has experienced due to the family curse. She's a caring, loving sister, wanting to bring joy to the world through her baking. Rabbie is just as caring and dedicated to his friends and his magical hometown. He's the quiet, steady presence that grounds Lyra and gives her a solid foundation. Much as I enjoyed their romance though, I was confused at the way the book ended with a major plot point regarding the curse left unresolved. Hopefully the third book will provide an explanation. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
August 25, 2026
This was so much fun! I find Tricia O’Malley’s books to be so readable. Her writing draws me in and I am instantly connected to the characters. I laugh and worry along with them and when I finish I want more. This book was no different and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!
Lyra MacGregor is finally coming into her magic but it is causing chaos. It is especially problematic because she is on Bewitching Bake-Off, a magical reality tv show, which is filming in Briarhaven and she is paired with her ex, Rabbie. Around Rabbie her magic is especially chaotic as her emotions are all over the place. Can Rabbie and Lyra figure out how to work together and harness her magic? It was so much fun watching Lyra and Rabbie try to navigate their feelings. The hedgehogs made me giggle. The sparks between them, plus the way they still were together touched my heart and had me rooting for them.
Briarhaven is a magical town, it has leaned into its magical roots and allows the witches, fae, and other magical beings to live in plain sight.The residents of Briarhaven are quirky and their magical abilities are fascinating.and I want more of them. Plus the magical pets, Blue, the emberwolf, Haggis a coo, and Oswald the cat return and Lyra adds Ruth, a fierce fluttermouse, and they made me smile. I am still thinking about Lyra and Rabbie and the rest of the residents of Briarhaven. This is book 2 in the Scottish Charms Series and can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. I can’t wait for the next book in the series! I highly recommend this book to readers that enjoy cozy romances filled with family, heart, humor, second chance romance, and magical pets.
Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery books for the free, gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Lyra MacGregor is finally coming into her magic but it is causing chaos. It is especially problematic because she is on Bewitching Bake-Off, a magical reality tv show, which is filming in Briarhaven and she is paired with her ex, Rabbie. Around Rabbie her magic is especially chaotic as her emotions are all over the place. Can Rabbie and Lyra figure out how to work together and harness her magic? It was so much fun watching Lyra and Rabbie try to navigate their feelings. The hedgehogs made me giggle. The sparks between them, plus the way they still were together touched my heart and had me rooting for them.
Briarhaven is a magical town, it has leaned into its magical roots and allows the witches, fae, and other magical beings to live in plain sight.The residents of Briarhaven are quirky and their magical abilities are fascinating.and I want more of them. Plus the magical pets, Blue, the emberwolf, Haggis a coo, and Oswald the cat return and Lyra adds Ruth, a fierce fluttermouse, and they made me smile. I am still thinking about Lyra and Rabbie and the rest of the residents of Briarhaven. This is book 2 in the Scottish Charms Series and can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. I can’t wait for the next book in the series! I highly recommend this book to readers that enjoy cozy romances filled with family, heart, humor, second chance romance, and magical pets.
Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery books for the free, gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
🐭 𝔸 𝕋𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕄𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔
By Tricia O’Malley
Book 2 of The Scottish Charms Series
(works perfect as a standalone)
🔖 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞: So much appreciation to @gallerybooks for the gifted copy! It traveled with me all the way Scotland on my summer vacation and made for the perfect read.
✨ 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Lyra’s family has been cursed for generations. When the curse makes her new magical abilities go haywire, she struggles to charm the audience as a contestant on her favorite magical baking show. Fortunately, more than cookies are being whipped up in the kitchen, and Lyra’s ex steps in to lend a helping hand.
📖 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Rom Com/Fantasy
🌙 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲: Whimsical and magical with a hefty dose of Scottish charm
🕯️ 𝐀𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: all the zestiness of a Christmas bakeoff competition mixed with witchy, small town scenes. Loved the candlelit Mabin celebration set in the woods.
🖤 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬/𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬: Second Chance Romance, Grumpy x Sunshine, Forced Proximity, Sisterly Bonds
⏳ 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠: This is a page-turner! Every page had something whimsical, or magical. I was so excited to sink into this book each day.
💭 𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭: Lyra is grappling with some heavy issues but she’s a positive, go-getter with a positive outlook. Lyra’s personality really carried the tone for the book, keeping things light and fun.
✨ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: I’ve always wanted a pet hedgehog, but now I NEED one!
📚 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: I can’t say enough how much of a fun and entertaining read this was! I will absolutely be reading more from Tricia O’Malley and, even though this was easily read as a standalone, I can’t wait to pick up Book 3 and circle back around to Book 1 of this series.
By Tricia O’Malley
Book 2 of The Scottish Charms Series
(works perfect as a standalone)
🔖 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞: So much appreciation to @gallerybooks for the gifted copy! It traveled with me all the way Scotland on my summer vacation and made for the perfect read.
✨ 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Lyra’s family has been cursed for generations. When the curse makes her new magical abilities go haywire, she struggles to charm the audience as a contestant on her favorite magical baking show. Fortunately, more than cookies are being whipped up in the kitchen, and Lyra’s ex steps in to lend a helping hand.
📖 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Rom Com/Fantasy
🌙 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲: Whimsical and magical with a hefty dose of Scottish charm
🕯️ 𝐀𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: all the zestiness of a Christmas bakeoff competition mixed with witchy, small town scenes. Loved the candlelit Mabin celebration set in the woods.
🖤 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬/𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬: Second Chance Romance, Grumpy x Sunshine, Forced Proximity, Sisterly Bonds
⏳ 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠: This is a page-turner! Every page had something whimsical, or magical. I was so excited to sink into this book each day.
💭 𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭: Lyra is grappling with some heavy issues but she’s a positive, go-getter with a positive outlook. Lyra’s personality really carried the tone for the book, keeping things light and fun.
✨ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: I’ve always wanted a pet hedgehog, but now I NEED one!
📚 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: I can’t say enough how much of a fun and entertaining read this was! I will absolutely be reading more from Tricia O’Malley and, even though this was easily read as a standalone, I can’t wait to pick up Book 3 and circle back around to Book 1 of this series.
August 25, 2026
Thank you Gallery Books for the free book, A Taste of Magic by Tricia O’Malley.
This was such a cute, cozy, witchy Hallmark Christmas movie, but make it a book! When you’re looking for a sweet, fun, swoony romance to snuggle up with this winter, pick this one up!
Set in Scotland, we find our main characters, Lyra and Rab, paired together on a magical holiday reality baking competition, and hilarity and heartwarming moments ensue.
This is book two in the interconnected Scottish Charms series. While I have not read book one, I will definitely be going back to read it! I found it was not necessary at all to enjoy this story. Which, coming from someone who always wants to read a series in order, says A LOT! And I already cannot wait for book three, which features the last MacGregor sister Nova’s story.
Found family, adorable side characters, a cute small town, romance, and some fantasy sprinkled in, all set in Scotland. It just has everything! I loved all the Scottish sayings, and now I want to start randomly throwing them into conversations, especially “bonnie.” And somehow they even make cursing sound cute in this book!
Lyra and Rab are the sweetest witches ever, and I just want to give them both big hugs. I loved going on this journey with them and watching these childhood sweethearts find their way back to each other after so many obstacles kept them apart.
And there are hedgehogs, familiars, and just so many adorable animals! I mean, come on! This was just the snuggliest, cutest, warmest book and the perfect holiday read! I’m ready for the holidays now!
This was such a cute, cozy, witchy Hallmark Christmas movie, but make it a book! When you’re looking for a sweet, fun, swoony romance to snuggle up with this winter, pick this one up!
Set in Scotland, we find our main characters, Lyra and Rab, paired together on a magical holiday reality baking competition, and hilarity and heartwarming moments ensue.
This is book two in the interconnected Scottish Charms series. While I have not read book one, I will definitely be going back to read it! I found it was not necessary at all to enjoy this story. Which, coming from someone who always wants to read a series in order, says A LOT! And I already cannot wait for book three, which features the last MacGregor sister Nova’s story.
Found family, adorable side characters, a cute small town, romance, and some fantasy sprinkled in, all set in Scotland. It just has everything! I loved all the Scottish sayings, and now I want to start randomly throwing them into conversations, especially “bonnie.” And somehow they even make cursing sound cute in this book!
Lyra and Rab are the sweetest witches ever, and I just want to give them both big hugs. I loved going on this journey with them and watching these childhood sweethearts find their way back to each other after so many obstacles kept them apart.
And there are hedgehogs, familiars, and just so many adorable animals! I mean, come on! This was just the snuggliest, cutest, warmest book and the perfect holiday read! I’m ready for the holidays now!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
[Thank you to Gallery for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.]
We're back in Briarhaven, this time focusing on the second MacGregor sister, Lyra, as she finally confronts the family curse.
Lyra's favorite place is in the kitchen, so when she finds out her favorite magical baking show is filming their holiday special in town, she signs up. The only hiccup is that her new magic doesn't work properly.
Oh, and that she's been paired up with her teenage sweetheart, Rabbie.
This book is a dual POV so the reader gets both sides of what happened when Lyra and Rabbie were meant to run away together. And even though it’s been years, they’ve never gotten over each other.
I like that for this second chance romance, Lyra and Rabbie focus on who they are now (versus their teenage selves). And even though there’s still hurt feelings and insecurities, we get to watch them fall in love again.
This book felt sweeter than the previous book but I think that makes sense seeing as it follows Lyra. And even as Lyra and Rabbie are vulnerable, there are lots of funny parts, too. Like how as Lyra struggles to get her magic under control, there are mishaps involving hedgehogs and big messes in the kitchen.
Also, I would totally watch this magical baking show it if were real.
Anyway, I loved the little peeks at Sloan and Knox being happy together and omg I cannot wait for book 3!
*can be a standalone but this is a fun series so I highly recommend book 1!*
We're back in Briarhaven, this time focusing on the second MacGregor sister, Lyra, as she finally confronts the family curse.
Lyra's favorite place is in the kitchen, so when she finds out her favorite magical baking show is filming their holiday special in town, she signs up. The only hiccup is that her new magic doesn't work properly.
Oh, and that she's been paired up with her teenage sweetheart, Rabbie.
This book is a dual POV so the reader gets both sides of what happened when Lyra and Rabbie were meant to run away together. And even though it’s been years, they’ve never gotten over each other.
I like that for this second chance romance, Lyra and Rabbie focus on who they are now (versus their teenage selves). And even though there’s still hurt feelings and insecurities, we get to watch them fall in love again.
This book felt sweeter than the previous book but I think that makes sense seeing as it follows Lyra. And even as Lyra and Rabbie are vulnerable, there are lots of funny parts, too. Like how as Lyra struggles to get her magic under control, there are mishaps involving hedgehogs and big messes in the kitchen.
Also, I would totally watch this magical baking show it if were real.
Anyway, I loved the little peeks at Sloan and Knox being happy together and omg I cannot wait for book 3!
*can be a standalone but this is a fun series so I highly recommend book 1!*
August 25, 2026
I love witchy romances, and this cozy, magical story with a touch of romance that rekindles in the kitchen was an absolute delight!
The town of Briarhaven’s Bewitching Bake Off is filming its Christmas special, and it pairs up Lyra and Rabbie, two high school sweetheart exes. Not only are they not communicating well, but Lyra’s magic is out of whack! Turning objects into hedgehogs and such when Rabbie is near.
I enjoy the angst between Lyra and Rabbie as they try to bake together, but also as they try to understand what happened to them in the past. But I loved the magic and the baking; some of the challenges were quite clever and swirled with magic and Christmas themes.
I didn’t read the first book, and you don’t need to, but Lyra, her sisters, and the family curse are the thread, and you’ll find them all in this book as well. Plenty of fun, festivities, baking, magic, and romance.
🧁 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱:
Cozy Scottish Small Town
Magical Baking Competition
Misfiring Magic
Second Chance Romance
Quirky Witchy Sisters
A Family Curse
Christmas Whimsy
🎧 Narrators Siobhan Waring and John Hartley captured Lyra and Rabbie delightfully. Their wonderful accents added special charm and amplified the story's cozy, romantic feel.
Thank you | gifted | @gallerybooks and @simon.audio
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you to Gallery Books and Simon Audio for the gifted copies of A Taste of Magic, book two in the Scottish Charms cozy romantasy series by Tricia O’Malley.
I loved the first book and was so delighted to be back in Briarhaven! The Scottish village is so cozy and charming, and I loved catching up with the MacGregor sisters and their coven. This installment follows Lyra and her high school sweetheart, Rabbie, in a heartwarming second chance romance when they’re paired together for what’s basically a magical version of GBBO.
This was such a delightful read, and with the set up for book three at the end, I’m already eager for my next visit to Briarhaven! I’d definitely recommend reading this series in order. The world building from book one really carries through and adds so much to this story (and I have a feeling it’ll matter even more in book three).
🎧: This audiobook reeally enhances the reading experience! Siobhan Waring and John Hartley narrate the dual POVs, and while neither is actually Scottish, their accents are so convincing (I was shocked to see they’re both British!). It really adds to the atmosphere and tbh I’m still hearing bits of dialogue in John Hartley’s voice days later lol.
I loved the first book and was so delighted to be back in Briarhaven! The Scottish village is so cozy and charming, and I loved catching up with the MacGregor sisters and their coven. This installment follows Lyra and her high school sweetheart, Rabbie, in a heartwarming second chance romance when they’re paired together for what’s basically a magical version of GBBO.
This was such a delightful read, and with the set up for book three at the end, I’m already eager for my next visit to Briarhaven! I’d definitely recommend reading this series in order. The world building from book one really carries through and adds so much to this story (and I have a feeling it’ll matter even more in book three).
🎧: This audiobook reeally enhances the reading experience! Siobhan Waring and John Hartley narrate the dual POVs, and while neither is actually Scottish, their accents are so convincing (I was shocked to see they’re both British!). It really adds to the atmosphere and tbh I’m still hearing bits of dialogue in John Hartley’s voice days later lol.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨
📖: A Taste of Magic (The Scottish Charms Series Book 2)
Her family’s curse prevented Lyra from having a sense of permanence or home. She applies to star in a reality TV cooking show filming in Briarhaven. But when her erratic magic manifests and she’s paired with the ex who broke her heart, she’ll have to navigate the drama that unfolds in front of and behind the camera.
Tropes to expect:
👥Dual POV
💞Second chance romance
🌦️Grumpy/sunshine
🫂Quirky found family
🥧Magical baking competition
🧹Witchy sisters
🍂Cozy fall vibes
This angsty romance packs all the feels and small town charm. Lyra tries to make the most of the curse, enjoying travel and no-strings entanglements and hides her insecurities well. Rabbie’s heart never fully mended and as much as he wants to steer clear of Lyra, his heart can’t seem to let her go. Can they repair the broken trust and mend the hurt between them?
Between the curse, meddling friends, and heated competition, will they brew a recipe for success or disaster? A Taste of Magic is a sweet and magical tale about first love, second chances, and finding home!
Thankful to the author, Gallery books, and NetGalley for the review copy. This is my honest and voluntary review.
📖: A Taste of Magic (The Scottish Charms Series Book 2)
Her family’s curse prevented Lyra from having a sense of permanence or home. She applies to star in a reality TV cooking show filming in Briarhaven. But when her erratic magic manifests and she’s paired with the ex who broke her heart, she’ll have to navigate the drama that unfolds in front of and behind the camera.
Tropes to expect:
👥Dual POV
💞Second chance romance
🌦️Grumpy/sunshine
🫂Quirky found family
🥧Magical baking competition
🧹Witchy sisters
🍂Cozy fall vibes
This angsty romance packs all the feels and small town charm. Lyra tries to make the most of the curse, enjoying travel and no-strings entanglements and hides her insecurities well. Rabbie’s heart never fully mended and as much as he wants to steer clear of Lyra, his heart can’t seem to let her go. Can they repair the broken trust and mend the hurt between them?
Between the curse, meddling friends, and heated competition, will they brew a recipe for success or disaster? A Taste of Magic is a sweet and magical tale about first love, second chances, and finding home!
Thankful to the author, Gallery books, and NetGalley for the review copy. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A Taste of Magic 🧁✨Review✨ thank you @gallerybooks for the gifted book! #gallerypartner
A Taste of Magic
by Tricia O'Malley
out now!
She’s hexed. He’s her ex. And if they can’t bake in harmony, Briarhaven’s big cooking competition might just go up in smoke.
My thoughts 💭:
I loved this one and had so much fun reading it! It’s officially that time of year when I want to fill my TBR with all the witchy reads, and after loving Love’s a Witch, book one, I had no doubt I’d be reading this one too. This book combined two of my favorite things… second chance romance and a baking competition! I loved watching Lyra and Rabbie get a chance to finally see each other’s perspectives on the night their lives took a heartbreaking turn. Their story was sweet, magical, and had just the right amount of chaos. I couldn’t help but giggle every single time the spoons turned into hedgehogs. Oh! and the familiars were also cute and whimsical. Both of these things were fun little magical elements that made me love this story even more. This was a cozy, fun, witchy romance and exactly the kind of read I want this time of year. I’m already excited to see what magical story we get for book three!
What to expect 👇🏽
🧙♀️ Witchy
💕 Second chance
🧁 Magical baking competition
✨ Spellwork & unpredictable magic
🦔 Hedgehog chaos
🏡 Cozy small town
📚 Book 2
Happy reading 📖💖🧁🦔
A Taste of Magic
by Tricia O'Malley
out now!
She’s hexed. He’s her ex. And if they can’t bake in harmony, Briarhaven’s big cooking competition might just go up in smoke.
My thoughts 💭:
I loved this one and had so much fun reading it! It’s officially that time of year when I want to fill my TBR with all the witchy reads, and after loving Love’s a Witch, book one, I had no doubt I’d be reading this one too. This book combined two of my favorite things… second chance romance and a baking competition! I loved watching Lyra and Rabbie get a chance to finally see each other’s perspectives on the night their lives took a heartbreaking turn. Their story was sweet, magical, and had just the right amount of chaos. I couldn’t help but giggle every single time the spoons turned into hedgehogs. Oh! and the familiars were also cute and whimsical. Both of these things were fun little magical elements that made me love this story even more. This was a cozy, fun, witchy romance and exactly the kind of read I want this time of year. I’m already excited to see what magical story we get for book three!
What to expect 👇🏽
🧙♀️ Witchy
💕 Second chance
🧁 Magical baking competition
✨ Spellwork & unpredictable magic
🦔 Hedgehog chaos
🏡 Cozy small town
📚 Book 2
Happy reading 📖💖🧁🦔
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was a bazillion times more cute than I had originally expected. I loved how fun the story was surrounding the romance just as much as I loved Lyra and Rab. It also is dual POV so that just added to the experience. I had a cheesy smile the whole way through because I loved it. I couldn't stop reading once I started. I really loved the magic element to the story. I'll have to go back and read the previous ones. All of the side characters were so charming and lovely. They both had such cool friend groups and in Lyra's case her sisters. The solutions to solving everything was clever and the story was well written. Miscommunication can be so frustrating but the way it was handled at the end was way too cute and worth reading through it. There's a second chance romance that worked really well and I love that it rebuilds who they are now versus focusing on who they once were. Also cute hedgehogs. Cute and hilarious familiars. Like this was just purely adorable with some sass and banter. And a story that had all the charm despite everything going wrong due to the curse.
I really appreciate Gallery gifting me a copy. Such a fun and warm story that deserves all the hype.
I really appreciate Gallery gifting me a copy. Such a fun and warm story that deserves all the hype.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.25 stars
Love this witchy series! I always like the idea of a witchy romance, but it's so hard to strike the balance between a romance and the witchy elements, without going full tilt into fantasy. This series gets it right, where there is still enough lore to be charming, but mostly focuses on the relationships.
Kitchen witchery has always been an area of interest for me, so I loved the backdrop of a magical bake off show for Lyra and Rab to rekindle their teenage romance. While I didn't connect to sweet and pretty Lyra as a MMC as much as her more rough and tumble sisters, I still loved their sniping banter, which felt more realistic than most saccharine portrayals of sisterly relationships.
The side characters and town of Briarhaven are just as big a part of the story of the main characters, and made me long to live in a magical Scottish village, complete with a mouse familiar, or maybe even a hedgehog, if I could scrounge up a handsome enough witch IYKYK 🦔
Fully invested to see how the curse will finally be broken and how Nova will play a part in it when the final book comes out next year.
🦔 Thank you @gallerybooks #GalleryPartner for the advanced copy
Love this witchy series! I always like the idea of a witchy romance, but it's so hard to strike the balance between a romance and the witchy elements, without going full tilt into fantasy. This series gets it right, where there is still enough lore to be charming, but mostly focuses on the relationships.
Kitchen witchery has always been an area of interest for me, so I loved the backdrop of a magical bake off show for Lyra and Rab to rekindle their teenage romance. While I didn't connect to sweet and pretty Lyra as a MMC as much as her more rough and tumble sisters, I still loved their sniping banter, which felt more realistic than most saccharine portrayals of sisterly relationships.
The side characters and town of Briarhaven are just as big a part of the story of the main characters, and made me long to live in a magical Scottish village, complete with a mouse familiar, or maybe even a hedgehog, if I could scrounge up a handsome enough witch IYKYK 🦔
Fully invested to see how the curse will finally be broken and how Nova will play a part in it when the final book comes out next year.
🦔 Thank you @gallerybooks #GalleryPartner for the advanced copy
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Thank you so much to Gallery Books for the eARC of this book via Edelweiss.
I was so excited to read A Taste of Magic to see what was going to happen with the second MacGregor sister!
Our FMC (Lyra) has been hosting her own YouTube channel where she shares recipes that she makes with her audience. Her channel has been her primary source of income, as it has allowed for her to be as nomadic as the sisters have been after being cast of out Briarhaven. A cooking show for the magickal population comes into town to shoot their Christmas special and Lyra applies for the show, not knowing that her magic will come and be all over the place.
Our MMC (Rab) is an accountant for most of the small businesses in Briarhaven and is totally content with just having a normal existence where he is needed by the townspeople....until he is roped into going on the same show that Lyra just got selected for.
Lyra and Rab have a shared past that both hurts them in their own way. Will they be able reconcile and will her magic behave?
I am really looking forward to reading Nova's story!
I was so excited to read A Taste of Magic to see what was going to happen with the second MacGregor sister!
Our FMC (Lyra) has been hosting her own YouTube channel where she shares recipes that she makes with her audience. Her channel has been her primary source of income, as it has allowed for her to be as nomadic as the sisters have been after being cast of out Briarhaven. A cooking show for the magickal population comes into town to shoot their Christmas special and Lyra applies for the show, not knowing that her magic will come and be all over the place.
Our MMC (Rab) is an accountant for most of the small businesses in Briarhaven and is totally content with just having a normal existence where he is needed by the townspeople....until he is roped into going on the same show that Lyra just got selected for.
Lyra and Rab have a shared past that both hurts them in their own way. Will they be able reconcile and will her magic behave?
I am really looking forward to reading Nova's story!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I loved this one so much! I thought book 1 was whimsical good fun, but this one topped it for me! It was hilarious! It had Steel Magnolia and Practical Magic vibes, and the sisterhood was so strong!
In book one I had thought that Nova was going to be my long standing favorite sister (even though she wasn't the main sister of that book) because our vibes were so similar, but our star of book 2, Lyla, stole that crown with all the glitter and sparkle! I really got her and felt represented by her. I loved everything about her, her story, and the fact that even though she "knew herself" she still managed to "find herself" again.
As in book 1, the romance was perfect, the spice had a nice build up and it was 🤌🏼. Both books were the epitome of romantic comedy (this one more so than the last), had amazing characters, magic and hilarity, and I already want to reread them! I also cannot wait for book 3 to see if Nova steals the crown back.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to the e-arc!
In book one I had thought that Nova was going to be my long standing favorite sister (even though she wasn't the main sister of that book) because our vibes were so similar, but our star of book 2, Lyla, stole that crown with all the glitter and sparkle! I really got her and felt represented by her. I loved everything about her, her story, and the fact that even though she "knew herself" she still managed to "find herself" again.
As in book 1, the romance was perfect, the spice had a nice build up and it was 🤌🏼. Both books were the epitome of romantic comedy (this one more so than the last), had amazing characters, magic and hilarity, and I already want to reread them! I also cannot wait for book 3 to see if Nova steals the crown back.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to the e-arc!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"Being approachable is not a metric I aspire to have."
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to read an ARC copy of A Taste of Magic by Tricia O’Malley!
I absolutely adored this book! It was filled with the perfect blend of early Christmas magic and Halloween coziness, creating such a fun and enchanting atmosphere.
Lyra was such a joy to read, and I loved watching her discover and grow into her magic. Rab was protective, kind, and absolutely perfect, and seeing these two get their second chance together was so heartwarming. Their journey made my little romance loving heart so happy!
And Ruth?! Her epic sword brandishing sass had me completely obsessed. I need her as my familiar immediately.
I thoroughly enjoyed this magical, cozy read and cannot wait for the third book! I NEED Nova and Jack’s story, and I am already counting down until I can get my hands on it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to read an ARC copy of A Taste of Magic by Tricia O’Malley!
I absolutely adored this book! It was filled with the perfect blend of early Christmas magic and Halloween coziness, creating such a fun and enchanting atmosphere.
Lyra was such a joy to read, and I loved watching her discover and grow into her magic. Rab was protective, kind, and absolutely perfect, and seeing these two get their second chance together was so heartwarming. Their journey made my little romance loving heart so happy!
And Ruth?! Her epic sword brandishing sass had me completely obsessed. I need her as my familiar immediately.
I thoroughly enjoyed this magical, cozy read and cannot wait for the third book! I NEED Nova and Jack’s story, and I am already counting down until I can get my hands on it!
August 26, 2026
Thank you to Gallery Books and Simon Audio for the advance copies!
3.5 stars, rounded up.
Lyra is shocked to be paired with her former high school sweetheart while competing on the Bewitching Bake-Off reality television competition. Rabbie has no baking experience, and Lyra's magic is chaotic and unpredictable. As they get farther into the competition, Rabbie and Lyra learn to start trusting one another again and things start heating up between them.
I loved the way this book pulled me right into the baking competition. The overall vibes were cozy and magical. There were some really funny moments as Lyra's magic malfunctioned. Rabbie and Lyra were so cute together. Their second chance romance was adorable and complete with reflections on the love they had in their younger years. Overall, this was a fun and lighthearted witchy romance!
The narration by Siobhan Waring and John Hartley was well done and helped bring the characters and story to life.
3.5 stars, rounded up.
Lyra is shocked to be paired with her former high school sweetheart while competing on the Bewitching Bake-Off reality television competition. Rabbie has no baking experience, and Lyra's magic is chaotic and unpredictable. As they get farther into the competition, Rabbie and Lyra learn to start trusting one another again and things start heating up between them.
I loved the way this book pulled me right into the baking competition. The overall vibes were cozy and magical. There were some really funny moments as Lyra's magic malfunctioned. Rabbie and Lyra were so cute together. Their second chance romance was adorable and complete with reflections on the love they had in their younger years. Overall, this was a fun and lighthearted witchy romance!
The narration by Siobhan Waring and John Hartley was well done and helped bring the characters and story to life.
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