The Magic We Made

by Meg Cabot

She doesn’t believe in magic. He is magic. But when they meet, a spark is lit, and neither will ever be the same—in this charming new stand-alone in the Witches of West Harbor series from New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot.

Frankie

A trained therapist, Francesca Giovanni knows there’s a scientific explanation for everything. Unfortunately, she lives in West Harbor, CT, a town that’s recently exploded in popularity thanks to “witch tourism.” Suddenly, witches are everywhere, offering locals their psychic services. Frankie’s fine with this…until aspiring teenage witches begin to disappear, and strange things start happening in the lake house next door. Frankie begins to suspect not all newcomers to West Harbor have the good of the community in mind—especially not her new neighbor, Ash Merit.

Ash

Ash Merit finds lost things—and people—for a living. All he wants is to help his clients, and maybe get to know the stunningly beautiful (and newly single) Dr. Frankie Giovanni a little better. But thanks to some troublesome young witches—not to mention his often faulty psychic “superpower”—everything goes wrong. If only Frankie wasn’t so distractingly attractive…and so unwilling to admit there might not be a logical reason for everything, including the flames that ignite whenever the two of them kiss. Ash hopes to change that, but first he and Frankie have to find the missing girls, as well as the truth about what’s happening in West Harbor…a truth that could change everything they thought they knew about themselves—and the magic of love.

384 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 11, 2026

About the author

Librarian note: AKA Jenny Carroll (1-800-Where-R-You series), AKA Patricia Cabot (historical romance novels).

Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.

She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.

Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.

Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.


Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator

Reviews

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

West Harbor has been a sleepy town, at least until the area becomes an area for witches, both real and those who are there more for the trend. Girls have been going missing, but no one can find any trace as to where they have gone. When Emma goes missing in West Harbor, Ash sets out to find her. He can find lost things after all. But are his powers real? Or are they in his head, as his neighbor, Frankie, thinks. Frankie and Ash's relationship unfolds as they begin to get to know each other. Maybe Ash isn't quite the jerk that Frankie thought he was.

You get both Ash and Frankie's POVs in this book, giving the story from someone who believes in magic and goddesses and from a skeptical woman who trusts science. This is a slow burn, sweet romance without spice. Throw in the supernatural, and it's a great easy read.

Will Ash find Emma? Both Frankie and Ash learn secrets as the book progresses. The end nicely wraps the book up, and it read wonderfully as a standalone.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy to review!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always been a fan of Meg Cabot, starting with The Princess Diaries and especially the Heather Wells series. This book is the second in a series—I’d say it’s fairly a stand alone, although there were enough repeated references to the first book and assorted characters that I felt like I would have had more understanding if I’d read the first book. This book is a romance, but with witches thrown in. I’m not much of a fantasy fan, so the magic and goddesses and witch covens threw me, but I always enjoy this author. The two protagonists were engaging and the dialogue was amusing. I enjoyed the family interactions, too. Overall, an enjoyable romantic read. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy read.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’m not really sure what I expected from this book, but it was overall a cute story. In the beginning I thought it was going to be a typical enemies to lovers romance, and had all the makings of a really good story. Then the focus shifted to more of a mystery/magic vibe, which I was not expecting.

It read as more of a YA book, with more mature romance themes sprinkled in. Overall a good quick read, but the twist in the end was somewhat unbelievable. I have a hard time with realistic fiction that shifts to fantasy in the last 1/4, it makes jt really difficult to feel immersed in the story.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book immensely. It mixed a sweet and funny romance and a mystery involving a vicious witch cult, with some paranormal surprises thrown in. The characters were distinct and well-drawn, the pace comfortably quick, descriptions crisp and believable, and the story downright riveting. The addition of a handful of ancient gods, Italian and Greek cooking, and some interesting super powers were a nice bonus.

I finished it in a couple of nights, and as the hallmark of a great story, I wanted more at the end.

[Lauria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Avon & Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Magic We Made was a cute novel with a twist – perhaps more suited for a YA age range. While the first half was a light enemy to lover’s trope, the mythological twist at the end was quite unexpected. I would rate this three stars; I did not know this was part of a series and perhaps that would influence my rating if I had read the first. Overall, it was a quick, easy read, though not a standout of the year.
#netgalley #ARC #review

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of The Magic We Made.

This was a cute little magical love story. The characters were likable, the story line was a typical cute romance story line- which isn’t a bad thing!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciated the pace of this book. It started quickly and continued at a nice pace. I very much liked both lead characters, but Ash is especially adorable. The blend of family dynamics and a little bit of magic was just right. This is the second book set in West Harbor, but I do not feel I missed anything pertinent, not having read the first. After perusing Meg Cabot's book list, there are several I'll be looking for.