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My Unfamiliar
Not yet published
Expected 1 Dec 26Win a free print copy of this book!
5 days and 16:23:34
50 copies available
U.S. only
Perfect for fans of Allison Saft and Catherine Bakewell, a grumpy mage and a familiar matchmaker navigate their surprising connection in Mara Rutherford's newest cozy fantasy novel.
Winslow Green is known far and wide for her ability to match mages with the perfect animal familiar. Though she doesn't possess any magic, she has a knack for knowing what her customers need, even if they can't see if themselves.
Still grieving the tragic death of his last familiar, Bastian Triplehorn reluctantly seeks Winnie's aid in finding a new partner. She's determined to live up to her reputation, despite Bastian's excessive grumpiness.
Until the inexplicable happens: Bastian sparks a familiar bond with Winnie instead.
Impossible to deny, the two agree to help each other until they can solve the mystery of their connection. As Bastian and Winnie train for a royal mage competition that could solve all their problems-or ruin their lives forever-Winnie gets a taste of what it's like to have magic herself. And Bastian discovers that all of these unfamiliar feelings are a little like magic, too.
Winslow Green is known far and wide for her ability to match mages with the perfect animal familiar. Though she doesn't possess any magic, she has a knack for knowing what her customers need, even if they can't see if themselves.
Still grieving the tragic death of his last familiar, Bastian Triplehorn reluctantly seeks Winnie's aid in finding a new partner. She's determined to live up to her reputation, despite Bastian's excessive grumpiness.
Until the inexplicable happens: Bastian sparks a familiar bond with Winnie instead.
Impossible to deny, the two agree to help each other until they can solve the mystery of their connection. As Bastian and Winnie train for a royal mage competition that could solve all their problems-or ruin their lives forever-Winnie gets a taste of what it's like to have magic herself. And Bastian discovers that all of these unfamiliar feelings are a little like magic, too.
352 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication December 1, 2026
About the author
Mara Rutherford
10 books1,711 followersMara Rutherford began her writing career as a journalist but quickly discovered she far preferred fantasy to reality. A triplet born on Leap Day, Mara has lived all over the world with her diplomat husband and two sons. She is the author of YA books including Crown of Coral and Pearl, The Poison Season, A Multitude of Dreams, and A Curious Kind of Magic.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
July 3, 2026
I'm devasted that this isn't my new favorite book ever. I had the highest expectations and wanted this to be my new obsession. Mainly because this is the top cover of the year for me, suggesting immaculate cozy magical creature vibes, but also because I had a really good time with a previous book by Mara Rutherford. But in the end this read like a generic YA fantasy romance for me. At first I was still very excited. We meet Winslow Green who helps matching mages with their animal companions, their familiars. She is cottagecore incarnate and lives in a little pink house full of magical creatures and flowers and magical creatures named after flowers. The exact vibes I wanted from this book. Unfortunately, the story moves in a different direction. Winnie meets Bastian Triplehorn, a mage who recently lost his beloved familiar and is now looking for a new one. There's a strong bond between mage and familiar which helps to amplify their magic altogether, so Bastian can't do without a new companion, especially since the royal mage competition is coming up. But instead of bonding with a different owl or a mini unicorn or a bumblebird, he bonds with Winnie. A human familiar is basically unheard of and it's causing quite the trouble for the two of them. Now they leave the cozy cottage and start looking for solutions and a way for Bastian to still enter the competition. Once they were bonded it started going downhill for me, if I'm honest. I didn't like this dynamic at all. The (mating)bond trope is awful enough on its own, but it's even worse when the characters basically don't know each other. They have met a day ago and now they completely depend on each other, probably for the rest of their lives? Just no. The mage-familiar bond of course doesn't aim at romantic love, but you can imagine where that relationship leads to. And don't get me started on the implications that Winnie takes the spot that would usually belong to an animal. That felt so wrong for me from the beginning and it was just never properly addressed. It also comes with the drawback that Bastian's matchmaking process ends up being painfully short. I wanted to meet different creatures and them really taking the spotlight of this book. Winnie does care so much about her work as a matchmaker and it was pretty interesting how she built a reputation for being the best in the business while she was also constantly having trouble with paying the rent and not being taken seriously. Why wasn't there more of that? Instead there's the half-baked mage competition starting halfway through the book. I wasn't thrilled about any of that either, because the different challenges were over in the blink of an eye and also very predictable. I also just never felt strongly for Winnie or Bastian. I guess they were perfectly fine as main characters, but maybe I'm just feeling that way because literally every other character was straight up awful with no complexity to their characters. Winnie's father, her kinda fiancée, Bastian's rival, the prince, the other competitors – all of them written to be awful and nothing more. As I said, I'm really bummed out about not loving this book, but as I write this review, I recognize that this story truly had many flaws. For me, at least.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
----------------------------------
Pre-read: The story sounds like something I would swoon over and the cover looks like something I would hang on my walls. Will read, no questions asked.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
----------------------------------
Pre-read: The story sounds like something I would swoon over and the cover looks like something I would hang on my walls. Will read, no questions asked.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This started out well enough, but the more I read, the more I lost interest.
The characters felt superficial, the dialogue was missing life, and there was way too much telling. Even the romance was done poorly. They barely know each other and yet it doesn’t take long for Winnie to start pining over Bastian and imagining being married to him. I think the animals had more personality than any of the characters.
But my main issue was the unbalanced power dynamic.
Can you imagine bonding with someone you BARELY KNOW to help them enhance their magic, and willingly letting them turn you into an animal? Why would you give someone so much power over you? And what’s to say they wouldn’t keep you as an animal forever? If you think about it, this had a lot of potential to become a villain awakening story.
Anyway, I got the biggest ick when Bastian turned Winnie into a squirrel for the sake of winning a competition. And it got even worse when she turned back into a girl... naked… in front of him and another man she barely knew. I can’t even begin to express how much that scene ruined the book for me. And then it sadly became a central part of the plot.
I just didn’t see enough trust developing between them to make this situation even remotely okay.
The familiar bond between two humans sounded fun on paper, but the execution fell short because all of these issues were glossed over.
─ ✦ ────
✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: i may have picked this up solely for the cover. but can you blame me
⬫ ⬪ ⬫
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!
The characters felt superficial, the dialogue was missing life, and there was way too much telling. Even the romance was done poorly. They barely know each other and yet it doesn’t take long for Winnie to start pining over Bastian and imagining being married to him. I think the animals had more personality than any of the characters.
But my main issue was the unbalanced power dynamic.
Can you imagine bonding with someone you BARELY KNOW to help them enhance their magic, and willingly letting them turn you into an animal? Why would you give someone so much power over you? And what’s to say they wouldn’t keep you as an animal forever? If you think about it, this had a lot of potential to become a villain awakening story.
Anyway, I got the biggest ick when Bastian turned Winnie into a squirrel for the sake of winning a competition. And it got even worse when she turned back into a girl... naked… in front of him and another man she barely knew. I can’t even begin to express how much that scene ruined the book for me. And then it sadly became a central part of the plot.
I just didn’t see enough trust developing between them to make this situation even remotely okay.
The familiar bond between two humans sounded fun on paper, but the execution fell short because all of these issues were glossed over.
─ ✦ ────
✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: i may have picked this up solely for the cover. but can you blame me
⬫ ⬪ ⬫
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!
June 10, 2026
This is one of the loveliest books I’ve ever read. It’s also so entertaining and compelling. I loved it! Mara knows how to write the perfect cozy fantasy book.
I would recommend it for all those who like animals, magic, love in many forms; and for all the fierce women out there who fend for themselves! This book reminds you to never forget about yourself.
Thanks so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC of My Unfamiliar by Mara Rutherford, to be published on December 1st, 2026.
I would recommend it for all those who like animals, magic, love in many forms; and for all the fierce women out there who fend for themselves! This book reminds you to never forget about yourself.
Thanks so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC of My Unfamiliar by Mara Rutherford, to be published on December 1st, 2026.
Currently Reading
July 12, 2026— ꣑ৎ ⁺ ˖ pre-read 🩷 ⊹◞
⟢ saw this on netgalley and had to see what it's about purely because of the cover!!
⟢ saw this on netgalley and had to see what it's about purely because of the cover!!
arcs-to-read
June 9, 2026The cover...is simply ✨gorgeous✨ 😍🥹🫶🏼 I can't wait to read it! 🤭
interested-in
January 19, 2026THE COVER OMG!!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚♡
“𝙈𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙄𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙.”
𝕄𝕪 𝕌𝕟𝕗𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕣 (Spoiler free review!)
⇢ ˗ˏˋ 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐃𝐞𝐜 𝟏 ࿐. ྂ
𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴:
𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 - 𝘛𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘵
0:09 ━●────────── 2:47
ㅤ ㅤ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤㅤ
-------˖⁺. ༶ ❤︎ ⋆˙⊹ 𐦍 ˖⁺. ༶ ❤︎ ⋆˙⊹-------
₊˚⊹♡ ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭
🧺Magic
🪷Dual Pov
🎀World Building
🩰Romance
💗Found Family
🌷Mystery sub plot
🌸Trials
🦄 Familiars
💌𝒫𝓁𝑜𝓉: a grumpy mage and a familiar matchmaker navigate their surprising connection and are forced to work together in this cozy fantasy 🌸✨
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
🎀🪞🩰🦢🕯️𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈
🐦⬛𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧: He is still grieving the tragic loss of his last familiar and so he goes to Winnie, the matchmaker who helps mages find their fated familiars.
🎀𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰: ANOTHER PINK HAIR SOFT FMC? 🥹 my shayla she is so sweet glittery pink FLUTTERSHY coded and I love the grumpy x sunshine bond and banter that winnie and Bastian have because they are forced to work together and then suddenly they cannot afford to stay away from each other without THEIR HEARTS LITERALLY UTTERLY physically hurting.
And the familiars i loved them all especially Poppy the unicorn, although they do not speak but they prove that love is proven through actions, not words to their mages. 🦄✨💘
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
𝐹𝒶𝓋 𝒬𝓊𝑜𝓉𝑒𝓈:
“𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘣𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘦. 𝘚𝘩𝘦’𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥.”
“𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺. 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦.”
"𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘔𝘳.
𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘯?”
“𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦."
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
🤍🎀🧸🌷🍭𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴: This is so beautifully written, I admit i was not expecting to enjoy a cozy fantasy book this much and it captivated me so much by the gorgeous pink whimsical cover and the plot was so entertaining!! AND THE YEARNING & SACRIFICES?!! And there was so much love languages shown This gave me the therapy i needed from reading dark fantasies 😩. I was so in love with the setting and concept of this book too because my favourite colour is pink and i would die to live in Winnie’s pink fairy coded cottage and i can relate to Winnie because she tried so hard to be daughter her parents wished they had.
I recommend this for those who seek a story that caresses your soul with the tenderness of a petal, animal lovers, those who find beauty and love in everything, and magic and for all the independent women with ambition because you should never give up on your dreams and always put yourself first! ✨🌸💘
Love, Avrielle 💌
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙩 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣’𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙧𝙘 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬!
⋆⭒˚.⋆🌷🎀 𝐏𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: should i be reading 1-2 week before finals? Probably not but I saw that CUTE COVER, on read now and i need a fresh reset from dark fantasy books!! ☺️😛💐
“𝙈𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙄𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙.”
𝕄𝕪 𝕌𝕟𝕗𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕣 (Spoiler free review!)
⇢ ˗ˏˋ 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐃𝐞𝐜 𝟏 ࿐. ྂ
𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴:
𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 - 𝘛𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘵
0:09 ━●────────── 2:47
ㅤ ㅤ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤㅤ
-------˖⁺. ༶ ❤︎ ⋆˙⊹ 𐦍 ˖⁺. ༶ ❤︎ ⋆˙⊹-------
₊˚⊹♡ ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭
🧺Magic
🪷Dual Pov
🎀World Building
🩰Romance
💗Found Family
🌷Mystery sub plot
🌸Trials
🦄 Familiars
💌𝒫𝓁𝑜𝓉: a grumpy mage and a familiar matchmaker navigate their surprising connection and are forced to work together in this cozy fantasy 🌸✨
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
🎀🪞🩰🦢🕯️𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈
🐦⬛𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧: He is still grieving the tragic loss of his last familiar and so he goes to Winnie, the matchmaker who helps mages find their fated familiars.
🎀𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰: ANOTHER PINK HAIR SOFT FMC? 🥹 my shayla she is so sweet glittery pink FLUTTERSHY coded and I love the grumpy x sunshine bond and banter that winnie and Bastian have because they are forced to work together and then suddenly they cannot afford to stay away from each other without THEIR HEARTS LITERALLY UTTERLY physically hurting.
And the familiars i loved them all especially Poppy the unicorn, although they do not speak but they prove that love is proven through actions, not words to their mages. 🦄✨💘
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
𝐹𝒶𝓋 𝒬𝓊𝑜𝓉𝑒𝓈:
“𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘣𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘦. 𝘚𝘩𝘦’𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥.”
“𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺. 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦.”
"𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘔𝘳.
𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘯?”
“𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦."
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🤍🎀🧸🌷🍭𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴: This is so beautifully written, I admit i was not expecting to enjoy a cozy fantasy book this much and it captivated me so much by the gorgeous pink whimsical cover and the plot was so entertaining!! AND THE YEARNING & SACRIFICES?!! And there was so much love languages shown This gave me the therapy i needed from reading dark fantasies 😩. I was so in love with the setting and concept of this book too because my favourite colour is pink and i would die to live in Winnie’s pink fairy coded cottage and i can relate to Winnie because she tried so hard to be daughter her parents wished they had.
I recommend this for those who seek a story that caresses your soul with the tenderness of a petal, animal lovers, those who find beauty and love in everything, and magic and for all the independent women with ambition because you should never give up on your dreams and always put yourself first! ✨🌸💘
Love, Avrielle 💌
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙩 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣’𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙧𝙘 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬!
⋆⭒˚.⋆🌷🎀 𝐏𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: should i be reading 1-2 week before finals? Probably not but I saw that CUTE COVER, on read now and i need a fresh reset from dark fantasy books!! ☺️😛💐
July 11, 2026
When I saw the cover of this one, I knew it would be right up my alley. My Unfamiliar was such a cozy read - it honestly felt like a warm hug. I was completely besotted with Winnie and Bastian’s dynamic and the whole familiar aspect was so much fun to read. I too, would love to own a pink cottage filled with animals, thank you very much.
Mara’s writing was absolutely stunning as well (consider me a fan!). I honestly can’t recommend this one enough, especially if you’re a fan of Heather Fawcett’s work.
the vibes ™:
- 2 idiots fall in love with each other whilst trying to win a contest together
- whimsy
- yearning
- most highlightable quotes
- animals/familiars <33
🦄🩷✨
Mara’s writing was absolutely stunning as well (consider me a fan!). I honestly can’t recommend this one enough, especially if you’re a fan of Heather Fawcett’s work.
the vibes ™:
- 2 idiots fall in love with each other whilst trying to win a contest together
- whimsy
- yearning
- most highlightable quotes
- animals/familiars <33
🦄🩷✨
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My Unfamiliar is probably the pinkest book I've read in a while — and I absolutely loved it! It’s filled with adorable animal familiars, magic, and all the cosy vibes I could ask for. The characters are so lovable, and Bastian’s grumpiness never felt too much. Watching both main characters grow and change throughout the story brought me so much joy.
My Unfamiliar was my first book by Mara Rutherford, but it definitely won’t be my last. So many of my bookish friends keep recommending her other titles, and I’m excited to check them out too — once my TBR pile gets a little smaller!
If I had to describe Winnie and Bastian’s relationship with a sticker, it would definitely say “grumpy × sunshine.” Even though Winnie has her own struggles, she remains a small ray of sunshine in Bastian’s life. I loved seeing them slowly warm up to each other in such a natural way. Their interactions never felt forced, which made their connection all the more enjoyable to read.
If you are looking for cosy book and good time in magical world with sweet animal companions, then My Unfamiliar is definitely for you!
Thank you Mara Rutherford, St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and Netgalley for opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for honest review!
My Unfamiliar was my first book by Mara Rutherford, but it definitely won’t be my last. So many of my bookish friends keep recommending her other titles, and I’m excited to check them out too — once my TBR pile gets a little smaller!
If I had to describe Winnie and Bastian’s relationship with a sticker, it would definitely say “grumpy × sunshine.” Even though Winnie has her own struggles, she remains a small ray of sunshine in Bastian’s life. I loved seeing them slowly warm up to each other in such a natural way. Their interactions never felt forced, which made their connection all the more enjoyable to read.
If you are looking for cosy book and good time in magical world with sweet animal companions, then My Unfamiliar is definitely for you!
Thank you Mara Rutherford, St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and Netgalley for opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for honest review!
July 19, 2026
I was very lucky to receive an e-ARC of this title releasing in Dec 2026.
4.5/5⭐️
This is a cozy romantasy story - opposites attract, grumpy-sunshine and throw in the ease of a Sarah Beth Durst book. This is magic, familiars (animal companions to mages), pink cottages and magic competitions. It’s not all flash and action, but the chemistry and connection keeps you hooked. And it almost has like a Victorian era fantasy feel, which I really liked. It’s definitely a slow burn, with some miscommunication trope - the only thing that i wanted more of, was the HEA (After all that waiting).
Winslow (Winnie) is a familiar matchmaker - meaning she matches mages up to animal companions that help bolster their magic and skills. Living a life her family doesn’t approve of, she’s struck out on her own (think Victorian era - women are only good for marriage vibes). Her newest client is Bastian. A mage who just lost his familiar in a horrible accident and who now needs to create a new bond so that he can train for a royal mage competition and set himself up for life and supporting his parents. However, during their appointment something odd happens when Winnie and Bastian touch - this sparks a magical bond between them.
4.5/5⭐️
This is a cozy romantasy story - opposites attract, grumpy-sunshine and throw in the ease of a Sarah Beth Durst book. This is magic, familiars (animal companions to mages), pink cottages and magic competitions. It’s not all flash and action, but the chemistry and connection keeps you hooked. And it almost has like a Victorian era fantasy feel, which I really liked. It’s definitely a slow burn, with some miscommunication trope - the only thing that i wanted more of, was the HEA (After all that waiting).
Winslow (Winnie) is a familiar matchmaker - meaning she matches mages up to animal companions that help bolster their magic and skills. Living a life her family doesn’t approve of, she’s struck out on her own (think Victorian era - women are only good for marriage vibes). Her newest client is Bastian. A mage who just lost his familiar in a horrible accident and who now needs to create a new bond so that he can train for a royal mage competition and set himself up for life and supporting his parents. However, during their appointment something odd happens when Winnie and Bastian touch - this sparks a magical bond between them.
July 26, 2026
The cover is so pretty that i had to read it. But this was such a let down. The romance was flat to me I tried but this was I guess for me.
June 25, 2026
My Unfamiliar
is a wonderfully cozy read, perfect for fans of Once Upon a Broken Heart, or The Tales of Arcana Fortune.
Rutherford captured a delightfully sweet tale without being overly descriptive, yet it was detailed enough that I could picture the scenes perfectly. The banter between Winnie and Bastian was enjoyable to read and the yearning between the two of them was *chefs kiss*
A pink haired, sugary sweet FMC who loves animals, and a grumpy mage who needs her help finding a familiar? Sign me up.
This checked so many boxes for me, and up until the very end I would’ve absolutely considered this a 5 star read. But my sole reason for giving it a 4 is that I felt the ending wasn’t given enough attention. As I was nearing the end of the book, I kept noticing that there were several loose ends yet not many pages to tie them up. And although I appreciate that this has a happily ever after, it was a little underwhelming due to the fact that it felt rushed.
The plot wasn’t an overly in-depth, intricate thing- but it worked well for the coziness of the story, and I was perfectly content with how it was going. However, I wish it could’ve been a little more detailed or even just a little bit longer in the end. It felt like the author wanted to keep it at a certain page count and started wrapping things up even though she could’ve kept going; because in my opinion, this could’ve easily been a duology. I would have happily read a second book that followed these characters and their story, just to give them the ending they deserved.
I don’t say all of that to dog the book, I enjoyed it and I’ll be giving it a reread once I get the physical copy. It’s just one of those books that I wanted more from because the potential was right there, ya know?
Huge thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advanced digital copy.
Rutherford captured a delightfully sweet tale without being overly descriptive, yet it was detailed enough that I could picture the scenes perfectly. The banter between Winnie and Bastian was enjoyable to read and the yearning between the two of them was *chefs kiss*
A pink haired, sugary sweet FMC who loves animals, and a grumpy mage who needs her help finding a familiar? Sign me up.
This checked so many boxes for me, and up until the very end I would’ve absolutely considered this a 5 star read. But my sole reason for giving it a 4 is that I felt the ending wasn’t given enough attention. As I was nearing the end of the book, I kept noticing that there were several loose ends yet not many pages to tie them up. And although I appreciate that this has a happily ever after, it was a little underwhelming due to the fact that it felt rushed.
The plot wasn’t an overly in-depth, intricate thing- but it worked well for the coziness of the story, and I was perfectly content with how it was going. However, I wish it could’ve been a little more detailed or even just a little bit longer in the end. It felt like the author wanted to keep it at a certain page count and started wrapping things up even though she could’ve kept going; because in my opinion, this could’ve easily been a duology. I would have happily read a second book that followed these characters and their story, just to give them the ending they deserved.
I don’t say all of that to dog the book, I enjoyed it and I’ll be giving it a reread once I get the physical copy. It’s just one of those books that I wanted more from because the potential was right there, ya know?
Huge thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advanced digital copy.
Want to Read
July 3, 2026💫✨ My Unfamiliar ✨💫
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
🧡What to Expect
• Cozy Fantasy
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Magical Bond
• Animal Familiars
• Royal Competition
• Found Family
_ _ __
📅 Pub Date: December 1, 2026
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
🧡What to Expect
• Cozy Fantasy
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Magical Bond
• Animal Familiars
• Royal Competition
• Found Family
_ _ __
📅 Pub Date: December 1, 2026
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Want to Read
March 25, 2026"Perfect for fans of Allison Saft and Catherine Bakewell, a grumpy mage and a familiar matchmaker navigate their surprising connection in Mara Rutherford's newest cozy fantasy novel."
i'm counting down the days for this one!!!
i'm counting down the days for this one!!!
June 18, 2026
This book might be the pinkest, fluffiest, most aggressively adorable book I’ve read in a while and honestly? I had a great time. This book is packed with magic, animal familiars, cozy vibes and enough cuteness to make me seriously consider whether I, too, need a magical animal companion.
Winnie was impossible not to love. She doesn’t have magic, but she somehow manages to be the most magical person in the room simply because she’s kind, determined and willing to help everyone around her. Then there’s Bastian Triplehorn, who arrives carrying grief, emotional baggage and the personality of a rain cloud. Thankfully, he’s the entertaining kind of grumpy and not the “I need to put this book down and go outside” kind.
The best part of the story was definitely watching Winnie and Bastian interact. Their grumpy sunshine dynamic was adorable from start to finish. Winnie is basically a walking ray of sunshine, while Bastian spends most of the book trying very hard to maintain his grumpy reputation. Spoiler: Winnie does not make that easy for him. Watching their relationship slowly develop had me smiling like an idiot more than once.
And can we talk about the familiars? Because every time one appeared, my brain immediately went, “I would die for this creature.” The magical world felt warm, whimsical and comforting, like stepping into a fairy tale designed specifically to cure a bad mood.
My only small complaint is that some parts of the plot felt a little predictable, and I would have loved to spend even more time exploring the magic system. But honestly, I was having so much fun with Winnie, Bastian and the adorable chaos of the familiars that I didn’t mind too much.
Overall, this book felt like a warm hug wrapped in glitter and sprinkled with magical animal sidekicks. If you’re looking for a cozy fantasy romance with lovable characters, grumpy sunshine energy and enough charm to make you smile through the entire book, this one is absolutely worth picking up. It was my first Mara Rutherford book, but it definitely won’t be my last assuming my TBR mountain doesn’t collapse on me first.
A special thank you to Mara Rutherford, St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Winnie was impossible not to love. She doesn’t have magic, but she somehow manages to be the most magical person in the room simply because she’s kind, determined and willing to help everyone around her. Then there’s Bastian Triplehorn, who arrives carrying grief, emotional baggage and the personality of a rain cloud. Thankfully, he’s the entertaining kind of grumpy and not the “I need to put this book down and go outside” kind.
The best part of the story was definitely watching Winnie and Bastian interact. Their grumpy sunshine dynamic was adorable from start to finish. Winnie is basically a walking ray of sunshine, while Bastian spends most of the book trying very hard to maintain his grumpy reputation. Spoiler: Winnie does not make that easy for him. Watching their relationship slowly develop had me smiling like an idiot more than once.
And can we talk about the familiars? Because every time one appeared, my brain immediately went, “I would die for this creature.” The magical world felt warm, whimsical and comforting, like stepping into a fairy tale designed specifically to cure a bad mood.
My only small complaint is that some parts of the plot felt a little predictable, and I would have loved to spend even more time exploring the magic system. But honestly, I was having so much fun with Winnie, Bastian and the adorable chaos of the familiars that I didn’t mind too much.
Overall, this book felt like a warm hug wrapped in glitter and sprinkled with magical animal sidekicks. If you’re looking for a cozy fantasy romance with lovable characters, grumpy sunshine energy and enough charm to make you smile through the entire book, this one is absolutely worth picking up. It was my first Mara Rutherford book, but it definitely won’t be my last assuming my TBR mountain doesn’t collapse on me first.
A special thank you to Mara Rutherford, St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
June 23, 2026
A grumpy mage, a familiar matchmaker, and one magical bond that should never have existed. When Winnie Green accidentally becomes linked to Bastian Triplehorn, the last thing either of them wants is to rely on the other. But between royal competitions, magical mysteries, and feelings neither of them saw coming, they may discover that the most unfamiliar thing of all is finding someone who truly understands them.
~~~
My Unfamiliar was an easy 5-star read for me.
Winnie is such a bubbly, lovable character, but beneath her bright personality she’s carrying far more than most people realize. I loved how her story serves as a reminder that you never truly know what someone is dealing with just by looking at them. The contrast between how she presents herself and what she’s actually experiencing added a lot of depth to her character.
Bastian was equally compelling. As an incredibly talented mage, I loved seeing his abilities showcased throughout the story, but what stood out most was how he encouraged Winnie to find and use her voice in situations she wasn’t familiar with. Rather than overshadowing her, he gave her the space and support to grow into her own strength, and I adored watching that dynamic develop between them.
What surprised me most was that the story gave me subtle Romeo and Juliet vibes—not because it follows the same plot, but because of the circumstances surrounding the characters and the obstacles standing between them. It felt like a fresh and unique take on that kind of star-crossed romance while still being entirely its own story.
My only real complaint is that I wanted more. I found myself wishing for additional time with Winnie and Bastian as their relationship continued to grow. By the time I reached the final page, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that there’s room for a sequel in the future because I would happily return to this world in a heartbeat.
Hint, hint. Wink, wink.
~~~
My Unfamiliar was an easy 5-star read for me.
Winnie is such a bubbly, lovable character, but beneath her bright personality she’s carrying far more than most people realize. I loved how her story serves as a reminder that you never truly know what someone is dealing with just by looking at them. The contrast between how she presents herself and what she’s actually experiencing added a lot of depth to her character.
Bastian was equally compelling. As an incredibly talented mage, I loved seeing his abilities showcased throughout the story, but what stood out most was how he encouraged Winnie to find and use her voice in situations she wasn’t familiar with. Rather than overshadowing her, he gave her the space and support to grow into her own strength, and I adored watching that dynamic develop between them.
What surprised me most was that the story gave me subtle Romeo and Juliet vibes—not because it follows the same plot, but because of the circumstances surrounding the characters and the obstacles standing between them. It felt like a fresh and unique take on that kind of star-crossed romance while still being entirely its own story.
My only real complaint is that I wanted more. I found myself wishing for additional time with Winnie and Bastian as their relationship continued to grow. By the time I reached the final page, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that there’s room for a sequel in the future because I would happily return to this world in a heartbeat.
Hint, hint. Wink, wink.
July 5, 2026
This book is filled with cozy magical vibes, mystery, danger, and love.
A grumpy (and a little bit Jaded) Mage seeks out the help of a sunshine and unicorns familiar matchmaker, and through the unpredictability of magic… ends up with more than he bargained for.
The tone and imagery of the story was absolutely cute and cozy, without being overly saccharine. The opposites attract aspect was comical, but also believable.
I loved all of the different animals the story included, and it opened my mind to the idea of a familiar being found in unexpected creatures. While a Cat, Owl, or Snake may come to mind… would a bunny or chicken? 😇
I felt there was good pacing, and liked the fact that there was a “but wait, there’s more” surprise.
-Slow burn
-Opposites attract
-found family
-familiars
-magic
A perfect cozy fantasy, especially for animal lovers and fans of empowered female characters.
Thank you Mara Rutherford and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book
A grumpy (and a little bit Jaded) Mage seeks out the help of a sunshine and unicorns familiar matchmaker, and through the unpredictability of magic… ends up with more than he bargained for.
The tone and imagery of the story was absolutely cute and cozy, without being overly saccharine. The opposites attract aspect was comical, but also believable.
I loved all of the different animals the story included, and it opened my mind to the idea of a familiar being found in unexpected creatures. While a Cat, Owl, or Snake may come to mind… would a bunny or chicken? 😇
I felt there was good pacing, and liked the fact that there was a “but wait, there’s more” surprise.
-Slow burn
-Opposites attract
-found family
-familiars
-magic
A perfect cozy fantasy, especially for animal lovers and fans of empowered female characters.
Thank you Mara Rutherford and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book
June 27, 2026
This book was the literary equivalent of a hot cup of tea on a cold morning, a frolic through the woods, and dancing in the rain. Cozy, comforting, and magical from beginning to end. I never wanted to put it down. 🫖
Winnie, our resident “swoony goose,” is a well-known familiar matchmaker who helps mages find their perfect animal companion. Bastian is a mage struggling with the grief of losing his best friend and trusted familiar, Oberon. When Winnie is recommended to help Bastian find a new familiar, their journey takes a turn neither of them expected, or even believed possible…. fiddlesticks
✨ Tropes ✨
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine
🐾 Found Family
🍄 Cozy Fantasy
Releasing December 1st🐿️
A huge thank you to @mararutherfordwrites and Wednesdays Books for the advanced reader copy. It was an absolute pleasure to read, and I’m so grateful I got to spend time in this cozy, magical world. 💕
Winnie, our resident “swoony goose,” is a well-known familiar matchmaker who helps mages find their perfect animal companion. Bastian is a mage struggling with the grief of losing his best friend and trusted familiar, Oberon. When Winnie is recommended to help Bastian find a new familiar, their journey takes a turn neither of them expected, or even believed possible…. fiddlesticks
✨ Tropes ✨
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine
🐾 Found Family
🍄 Cozy Fantasy
Releasing December 1st🐿️
A huge thank you to @mararutherfordwrites and Wednesdays Books for the advanced reader copy. It was an absolute pleasure to read, and I’m so grateful I got to spend time in this cozy, magical world. 💕
June 25, 2026
This was so adorable. I want to paint my house pink and pretend I can stay in this world forever (full rtc)
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. I was pretty confident I would like it, but I didn’t bet on loving it as much as I did.
The romance was absolutely adorable, and I really enjoyed reading about these two. At first, I was a little unsure because they developed feelings faster than I expected them to, but the author ended up executing it perfectly. Even though the feelings do come a little early, there are plenty of things that allow the relationship to take its time to unfold that will have you rooting for these two to just get together already.
And while I liked this book from the beginning, I started LOVING it when we got to the competition portion of the book. Obviously, this is cozy fantasy, so don’t go in expecting high-stakes deadly trials, but the character dynamics during this part of the book were incredible, and it was at this point where every time I put the book down, I was counting down the moments until I could come back.
Since the competition does take place at the palace, we do get introduced to some light court politics. I really enjoyed this layer being added to the story because it also got us a little more stakes involved as well. My only complaint with those is that I do feel like since court politics can be complicated and detailed, the way things wrapped up and came to a close did feel a little rushed. Without spoiling too much, there are two sort of villainous characters, and both of those storylines are resolved in one scene. Considering the ending for the main characters wraps up right after, I feel like that portion could have benefited from being expanded or spread out a bit more.
Also, a little disclaimer: I could see some people finding this a little too twee, but personally, I thought it was in a charming way (and that’s coming from someone usually bothered by that).
Overall, I’m pretty picky with my cozy fantasy books, but this is definitely up there with the ones I would consider the best. I would 100% recommend giving this a try because this is one of those cases where you would be alright to judge a book by its beautiful cover.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review!
~🅞🅥🅔🅡🅐🅛🅛 🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ . 5~
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. I was pretty confident I would like it, but I didn’t bet on loving it as much as I did.
The romance was absolutely adorable, and I really enjoyed reading about these two. At first, I was a little unsure because they developed feelings faster than I expected them to, but the author ended up executing it perfectly. Even though the feelings do come a little early, there are plenty of things that allow the relationship to take its time to unfold that will have you rooting for these two to just get together already.
And while I liked this book from the beginning, I started LOVING it when we got to the competition portion of the book. Obviously, this is cozy fantasy, so don’t go in expecting high-stakes deadly trials, but the character dynamics during this part of the book were incredible, and it was at this point where every time I put the book down, I was counting down the moments until I could come back.
Since the competition does take place at the palace, we do get introduced to some light court politics. I really enjoyed this layer being added to the story because it also got us a little more stakes involved as well. My only complaint with those is that I do feel like since court politics can be complicated and detailed, the way things wrapped up and came to a close did feel a little rushed. Without spoiling too much, there are two sort of villainous characters, and both of those storylines are resolved in one scene. Considering the ending for the main characters wraps up right after, I feel like that portion could have benefited from being expanded or spread out a bit more.
Also, a little disclaimer: I could see some people finding this a little too twee, but personally, I thought it was in a charming way (and that’s coming from someone usually bothered by that).
Overall, I’m pretty picky with my cozy fantasy books, but this is definitely up there with the ones I would consider the best. I would 100% recommend giving this a try because this is one of those cases where you would be alright to judge a book by its beautiful cover.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review!
~🅞🅥🅔🅡🅐🅛🅛 🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ . 5~
June 4, 2026
Yesterday I finished my Advanced Readers Copy of ‘My Unfamiliar’ by Mara Rutherford and it was one of my favorite reads of the year. I won this book via a Goodreads giveaway I entered and I couldn’t wait to dive in.
‘My Unfamiliar’ is the cutest, coziest, whimsically, most magical read. It follows around a young male (Bastian Triplehorn) mage (witch) who has lost is familiar (bonded animal that strengthens a mage’s magical abilities) and comes to Winslow Green (Winnie) who is an expert matchmaker for mages to familiars. Bastian is grumpy and serious whereas Winnie is girlie, frilly and full of all the cozy vibes. Theresa unthinkable happens and instead of matching with one do the animals Winnie presents to Bastian, he ends up matching with Winnie. Having a human familiar is unheard of and causes all kinds of tension, especially on Bastian’s end; Bastian isn’t much in human touch or companionship.
The story goes on where they try to figure out how to eventually dissolve the bond. They train for a royal mage competition, which would help Bastian rise to his full potential and all sorts of chaos occurs. Winnie and Bastian eventually have to come clean with their magical secrets as well as their emotional secrets.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn’t recommend it enough. It is set to release in December 2026.
I give this a 🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄 / 5
‘My Unfamiliar’ is the cutest, coziest, whimsically, most magical read. It follows around a young male (Bastian Triplehorn) mage (witch) who has lost is familiar (bonded animal that strengthens a mage’s magical abilities) and comes to Winslow Green (Winnie) who is an expert matchmaker for mages to familiars. Bastian is grumpy and serious whereas Winnie is girlie, frilly and full of all the cozy vibes. Theresa unthinkable happens and instead of matching with one do the animals Winnie presents to Bastian, he ends up matching with Winnie. Having a human familiar is unheard of and causes all kinds of tension, especially on Bastian’s end; Bastian isn’t much in human touch or companionship.
The story goes on where they try to figure out how to eventually dissolve the bond. They train for a royal mage competition, which would help Bastian rise to his full potential and all sorts of chaos occurs. Winnie and Bastian eventually have to come clean with their magical secrets as well as their emotional secrets.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn’t recommend it enough. It is set to release in December 2026.
I give this a 🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄 / 5
June 24, 2026
I really enjoyed this book. I found the plot really engaging. I find sometimes with cozy novels that they don’t keep you engaged the whole way through all the time, but this book had enough to hook me. It helped that Winnie and Bastian were interesting characters to watch grow. I found that this was a medium-paced book, but that said, I never felt like the pacing was going too slow. I loved the transition between the first arc of the book and the latter half of the book; it really ramped up the stakes for me. I was a little unsure how the author would handle the whole human-familiar concept, but I was pleasantly surprised and delighted because the author made it really easy to warm up to.
I loved the tropes–the forced proximity, the grump-and-sunshine thing, and especially the whole misunderstanding/miscommunication between the two protagonists. I never felt frustrated by that; it felt really organic and realistic how each of them processed their feelings. One of my favourite things about this novel was the use of dramatic irony. The nice thing about having shifting perspectives is that you get to see inside both of their heads, and it makes for a fun reading because you get to see how they have these different perceptions of each other and how the other person feels, and it’s just so good. This book was a lot of fun, and I thought the ending was really sweet.
Thanks a lot to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-ARC
I loved the tropes–the forced proximity, the grump-and-sunshine thing, and especially the whole misunderstanding/miscommunication between the two protagonists. I never felt frustrated by that; it felt really organic and realistic how each of them processed their feelings. One of my favourite things about this novel was the use of dramatic irony. The nice thing about having shifting perspectives is that you get to see inside both of their heads, and it makes for a fun reading because you get to see how they have these different perceptions of each other and how the other person feels, and it’s just so good. This book was a lot of fun, and I thought the ending was really sweet.
Thanks a lot to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-ARC
June 26, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
A very sweet romance with an intriguing plot and fun, fantastical elements!
Winnie and Bastian’s golden retriever/black cat energy was adorable, and I appreciated the way they still respected each other despite being so different. Loved how they made each other better people. The yearning was strong with this one, if not a little stretched out.
The misunderstandings did feel a little contrived at times, and I wish the ending was a little longer (and more show than tell), but I’ll never complain about a happy ending!
A very sweet romance with an intriguing plot and fun, fantastical elements!
Winnie and Bastian’s golden retriever/black cat energy was adorable, and I appreciated the way they still respected each other despite being so different. Loved how they made each other better people. The yearning was strong with this one, if not a little stretched out.
The misunderstandings did feel a little contrived at times, and I wish the ending was a little longer (and more show than tell), but I’ll never complain about a happy ending!
July 10, 2026
Lovers of books like once upon a broken heart and Alice in wonderland, this book is so whimsical!! The sweetest cottage core vibes and I finished the book wanting to make a cup of tea. I truly loved both main characters, Winnie and Bastian, and the adventures they traveled on together. A perfect book for fall and cozy season, I can’t wait for my physical book to arrive once this book goes live! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. One of my new favorite cozy authors.
July 24, 2026
This was very fun! It was whimsical and cozy perfection. Though it is a fantasy book, I wouldn’t say there were any super high stakes, which is honestly fine because sometimes we just need something lowkey. What had originally sold me was that absolutely stunning cover, but was happy to have stayed for the story!
Winnie and Bastian were so perfect as sunshine and grumpy, their dynamic had me giggling from the start!! Winnie was my favorite with all her pink and love for animals.
Mara Rutherford has that writing where you’re immediately transported and it’s so easy to visualize and I absolutely loved that so much.
Thank you to Wednesday books for the arc!!
Winnie and Bastian were so perfect as sunshine and grumpy, their dynamic had me giggling from the start!! Winnie was my favorite with all her pink and love for animals.
Mara Rutherford has that writing where you’re immediately transported and it’s so easy to visualize and I absolutely loved that so much.
Thank you to Wednesday books for the arc!!
June 11, 2026
It was adorable! Like really really cute and sweet, I picked it up at my local library because of the cover, and I wasn’t expecting much from it but I really loved it! — This was an advanced readers copy my library had.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I won an ARC through a GoodReads giveaway and I was shocked on how much I enjoyed this book - I finished it in 2 days (with a toddler and a newborn)
The FMC is doe eyed, ribbon wearing, always in pink and always has animals following her around. It’s a sunshine x grump but the grump is more like antisocial socially awkward mage.
It’s a super cozy easy breezy read. I love all the interactions with the familiars/animals.
The writing is very twee and could be cringy for some. I mean, the FMC’s favorite expletive is “fiddlesticks” I found it cute and enjoyed it a lot.
But it’s a cute story and moves along fast and made it a quick read.
The FMC is doe eyed, ribbon wearing, always in pink and always has animals following her around. It’s a sunshine x grump but the grump is more like antisocial socially awkward mage.
It’s a super cozy easy breezy read. I love all the interactions with the familiars/animals.
The writing is very twee and could be cringy for some. I mean, the FMC’s favorite expletive is “fiddlesticks” I found it cute and enjoyed it a lot.
But it’s a cute story and moves along fast and made it a quick read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC from NetGalley
Winnie is a young lady from a noble family. Her mother is a pushover, and her father is an asshole who wishes she was born a boy and so named her after himself. She's determined to make him proud and prove she can be more than just a marriage prospect, so she moves out and opens her own business where she helps match mages with familiars. Having recently lost his owl familiar (which he requires to participate in an upcoming mage challenge), Bastian is referred to her service by his mentor, as Winnie has made quite a name for herself in the field.
Bastian is grouchy. He's stressed out. He needs money because apparently his parents are inept, and so he takes care of them financially. I found this aspect of the story to be a bit eh because no one is sick or dying or destitute, just like kind of dumb and useless. He also desperately wants to win the mage challenge for himself, to prove to himself that he can do it. He wants to win, and he can't do that without a familiar.
Winnie is a hyperfeminine puff of cotton candy who takes pride in her work and really wants to match her animals with the right person. She's needs money to pay her rent or she'll lose her business and have to tuck tail and admit defeat to her parents. Because of this, she's extra motivated to match Bastian with a familiar.
Bastian expects her to be a man, based on her name (Winslow), and is shocked to arrive at a pink house with a unicorn and lacy, frilly, bubbly young Winnie. He doesn't take her seriously and is quite deflated realizing that she is who he needs to trust to solve his very important, time-sensitive problem.
He is brusque and dismissive and grouchy. She is laying the sunshine charm on thick to try to convince him she can make this work because she needs his payment.
Yada yada yada, due to some mysterious magic, Winnie ends up his familiar. This is stressful for both of them for several reasons, not the least being that they can no longer stray very far from each other without there being terrible pain. We spend the rest of the book with them trying to accomplish their goals while working within the constrains of their partnership and trying not to be found out. A human familiar, after all, is unheard of.
There are some flaws in the story for me, mostly the motivation for money for both of them. To me, the useless parents weren't really integral to the story and really brought nothing aside from a few mentions. They certainly weren't what one would consider a typical motivating factor, and I'm not sure why they were necessary at all. Later in the story, Winnie's motivation changes, and while the original motivating factor was believable to me, the later motivators were not cutting it.
The dynamic of their relationship was nice to read as it progressed, though most of their trials had to do with miscommunication and assumptions which I generally find difficult to pull off well. I still looked forward to reading it.
There was sufficient mystery in the story. There were enough magical vibes for me to find that cozy mental fantasy place I like to live in. I enjoyed the story a fair bit, and I would absolutely recommend it to someone looking for a fluffy romantic fantasy standalone (I think?) with the grumpy/sunshine trope.
Winnie is a young lady from a noble family. Her mother is a pushover, and her father is an asshole who wishes she was born a boy and so named her after himself. She's determined to make him proud and prove she can be more than just a marriage prospect, so she moves out and opens her own business where she helps match mages with familiars. Having recently lost his owl familiar (which he requires to participate in an upcoming mage challenge), Bastian is referred to her service by his mentor, as Winnie has made quite a name for herself in the field.
Bastian is grouchy. He's stressed out. He needs money because apparently his parents are inept, and so he takes care of them financially. I found this aspect of the story to be a bit eh because no one is sick or dying or destitute, just like kind of dumb and useless. He also desperately wants to win the mage challenge for himself, to prove to himself that he can do it. He wants to win, and he can't do that without a familiar.
Winnie is a hyperfeminine puff of cotton candy who takes pride in her work and really wants to match her animals with the right person. She's needs money to pay her rent or she'll lose her business and have to tuck tail and admit defeat to her parents. Because of this, she's extra motivated to match Bastian with a familiar.
Bastian expects her to be a man, based on her name (Winslow), and is shocked to arrive at a pink house with a unicorn and lacy, frilly, bubbly young Winnie. He doesn't take her seriously and is quite deflated realizing that she is who he needs to trust to solve his very important, time-sensitive problem.
He is brusque and dismissive and grouchy. She is laying the sunshine charm on thick to try to convince him she can make this work because she needs his payment.
Yada yada yada, due to some mysterious magic, Winnie ends up his familiar. This is stressful for both of them for several reasons, not the least being that they can no longer stray very far from each other without there being terrible pain. We spend the rest of the book with them trying to accomplish their goals while working within the constrains of their partnership and trying not to be found out. A human familiar, after all, is unheard of.
There are some flaws in the story for me, mostly the motivation for money for both of them. To me, the useless parents weren't really integral to the story and really brought nothing aside from a few mentions. They certainly weren't what one would consider a typical motivating factor, and I'm not sure why they were necessary at all. Later in the story, Winnie's motivation changes, and while the original motivating factor was believable to me, the later motivators were not cutting it.
The dynamic of their relationship was nice to read as it progressed, though most of their trials had to do with miscommunication and assumptions which I generally find difficult to pull off well. I still looked forward to reading it.
There was sufficient mystery in the story. There were enough magical vibes for me to find that cozy mental fantasy place I like to live in. I enjoyed the story a fair bit, and I would absolutely recommend it to someone looking for a fluffy romantic fantasy standalone (I think?) with the grumpy/sunshine trope.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My Unfamiliar
Mara Rutherford
Thank you to Wednesday Books, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: December 1, 2026
The second I got approved for this ARC, I genuinely screamed and immediately downloaded it to my Kindle. Mara Rutherford writing a cozy fantasy with magical familiars? There was absolutely no chance I wasn't reading this as soon as possible.
My Unfamiliar is everything I want in a cozy fantasy: magical animal companions, lovable characters, heartwarming relationships, and a story that feels like a warm hug while still keeping you completely invested.
Winnie was impossible not to love. She may not have magic herself, but her kindness, determination, and willingness to help others make her one of the most memorable characters in the story. Opposite her is Bastian, who arrives carrying grief, emotional baggage, and enough grumpiness to balance out Winnie's endless sunshine. Their grumpy-sunshine dynamic was absolutely adorable, and watching their relationship slowly develop was one of my favorite parts of the book.
The familiars completely stole my heart. Every new magical creature felt more charming than the last, and they added so much warmth and whimsy to the story. The world itself felt cozy and enchanting, filled with the kind of magic that makes you want to stay awhile.
One thing I especially appreciated was that while this is undeniably a cozy fantasy, it never felt slow. The story remained engaging throughout, with enough plot and character development to keep me turning pages while still maintaining that comforting atmosphere. The dual perspectives also worked wonderfully, allowing readers to see both Winnie and Bastian's misunderstandings, hopes, and growing feelings in a way that felt natural and often made me smile.
While some aspects of the plot were a little predictable, it never took away from my enjoyment. The charm of the characters, the sweetness of the romance, and the magical setting more than made up for it.
What to Expect:
• Cozy Fantasy
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Magical Animal Companions
• Forced Proximity
• Found Family
• Slow-Burn Romance
• Dual POV
• Whimsical Magic
• Heartwarming Character Growth
This was my first Mara Rutherford novel, but it certainly won't be my last. Charming, comforting, and full of heart, My Unfamiliar is the perfect cozy fantasy for readers looking for a little magic and a lot of warmth.
A delightful, enchanting read that left me smiling long after I turned the final page, and one of my favorite cozy fantasies I've read this year.
My Unfamiliar
Mara Rutherford
Thank you to Wednesday Books, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: December 1, 2026
The second I got approved for this ARC, I genuinely screamed and immediately downloaded it to my Kindle. Mara Rutherford writing a cozy fantasy with magical familiars? There was absolutely no chance I wasn't reading this as soon as possible.
My Unfamiliar is everything I want in a cozy fantasy: magical animal companions, lovable characters, heartwarming relationships, and a story that feels like a warm hug while still keeping you completely invested.
Winnie was impossible not to love. She may not have magic herself, but her kindness, determination, and willingness to help others make her one of the most memorable characters in the story. Opposite her is Bastian, who arrives carrying grief, emotional baggage, and enough grumpiness to balance out Winnie's endless sunshine. Their grumpy-sunshine dynamic was absolutely adorable, and watching their relationship slowly develop was one of my favorite parts of the book.
The familiars completely stole my heart. Every new magical creature felt more charming than the last, and they added so much warmth and whimsy to the story. The world itself felt cozy and enchanting, filled with the kind of magic that makes you want to stay awhile.
One thing I especially appreciated was that while this is undeniably a cozy fantasy, it never felt slow. The story remained engaging throughout, with enough plot and character development to keep me turning pages while still maintaining that comforting atmosphere. The dual perspectives also worked wonderfully, allowing readers to see both Winnie and Bastian's misunderstandings, hopes, and growing feelings in a way that felt natural and often made me smile.
While some aspects of the plot were a little predictable, it never took away from my enjoyment. The charm of the characters, the sweetness of the romance, and the magical setting more than made up for it.
What to Expect:
• Cozy Fantasy
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Magical Animal Companions
• Forced Proximity
• Found Family
• Slow-Burn Romance
• Dual POV
• Whimsical Magic
• Heartwarming Character Growth
This was my first Mara Rutherford novel, but it certainly won't be my last. Charming, comforting, and full of heart, My Unfamiliar is the perfect cozy fantasy for readers looking for a little magic and a lot of warmth.
A delightful, enchanting read that left me smiling long after I turned the final page, and one of my favorite cozy fantasies I've read this year.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My Unfamiliar • Mara Rutherford
One phrase: grumpy mage meets soft familiar matchmaker 🐦⬛🌷
This is one of the loveliest books I have read in a while.
My Unfamiliar is cozy fantasy at its best, full of magic, familiars, romance, found family, a little mystery, and the sweetest reminder not to lose yourself while taking care of everyone else.
Winslow Green is known for matching mages with their perfect animal familiars. She does not have magic herself, but she has a gift for knowing what people need, even when they cannot see it.
Then Bastian Triplehorn arrives.
He is a grieving, grumpy mage who has lost his last familiar and very reluctantly needs Winnie’s help finding a new one. She is determined to live up to her reputation, even if Bastian is making that extremely difficult.
And then the impossible happens.
Bastian forms a familiar bond with Winnie.
I loved this setup so much. The grumpy sunshine dynamic, the banter, the forced proximity, the ache of two people who suddenly cannot stay away from each other without literally feeling it. It was cozy, magical, tender, and so full of yearning.
Winnie was such a soft, pink, Fluttershy coded FMC and I adored her. She is sweet and glittery and caring, but also ambitious, capable, and learning that she deserves to choose herself too.
Bastian broke my heart a little. His grief over his former familiar gave the story so much emotional weight, and watching him open back up to love, trust, and connection was beautiful.
And the familiars?
Obsessed. Poppy the unicorn especially had my whole heart.
This book felt like a warm cookie, a pink cottage, a soft blanket, and a little bit of therapy after too many dark fantasy reads.
✨ Tropes and vibes:
🌷 cozy fantasy
🐦⬛ grumpy mage
🎀 soft FMC
🦄 animal familiars
💞 familiar bond
✨ magic and mystery
🫶 found family
💗 grumpy sunshine
🏰 royal mage competition
🩰 whimsical worldbuilding
🥹 yearning and sacrifice
🌸 pink cottage vibes
📚 Read this if you like:
Cozy fantasy, magical animals, grumpy sunshine romance, familiar magic, found family, soft but strong heroines, healing after grief, and stories that feel like they are gently caressing your soul with flower petals.
This was sweet, whimsical, romantic, comforting, and such a beautiful reminder to never give up on your dreams or forget about yourself.
#MyUnfamiliar #MaraRutherford #CozyFantasy #FantasyRomance #BookReview @WednesdayBooks
One phrase: grumpy mage meets soft familiar matchmaker 🐦⬛🌷
This is one of the loveliest books I have read in a while.
My Unfamiliar is cozy fantasy at its best, full of magic, familiars, romance, found family, a little mystery, and the sweetest reminder not to lose yourself while taking care of everyone else.
Winslow Green is known for matching mages with their perfect animal familiars. She does not have magic herself, but she has a gift for knowing what people need, even when they cannot see it.
Then Bastian Triplehorn arrives.
He is a grieving, grumpy mage who has lost his last familiar and very reluctantly needs Winnie’s help finding a new one. She is determined to live up to her reputation, even if Bastian is making that extremely difficult.
And then the impossible happens.
Bastian forms a familiar bond with Winnie.
I loved this setup so much. The grumpy sunshine dynamic, the banter, the forced proximity, the ache of two people who suddenly cannot stay away from each other without literally feeling it. It was cozy, magical, tender, and so full of yearning.
Winnie was such a soft, pink, Fluttershy coded FMC and I adored her. She is sweet and glittery and caring, but also ambitious, capable, and learning that she deserves to choose herself too.
Bastian broke my heart a little. His grief over his former familiar gave the story so much emotional weight, and watching him open back up to love, trust, and connection was beautiful.
And the familiars?
Obsessed. Poppy the unicorn especially had my whole heart.
This book felt like a warm cookie, a pink cottage, a soft blanket, and a little bit of therapy after too many dark fantasy reads.
✨ Tropes and vibes:
🌷 cozy fantasy
🐦⬛ grumpy mage
🎀 soft FMC
🦄 animal familiars
💞 familiar bond
✨ magic and mystery
🫶 found family
💗 grumpy sunshine
🏰 royal mage competition
🩰 whimsical worldbuilding
🥹 yearning and sacrifice
🌸 pink cottage vibes
📚 Read this if you like:
Cozy fantasy, magical animals, grumpy sunshine romance, familiar magic, found family, soft but strong heroines, healing after grief, and stories that feel like they are gently caressing your soul with flower petals.
This was sweet, whimsical, romantic, comforting, and such a beautiful reminder to never give up on your dreams or forget about yourself.
#MyUnfamiliar #MaraRutherford #CozyFantasy #FantasyRomance #BookReview @WednesdayBooks
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This may honestly be my favorite cozy fantasy read ever. My Unfamiliar had everything I love in a magical story: a grumpy mage, an unexpected bond, whimsical creatures, royal trials, corrupt magic, and a romance that felt soft, emotional, and so worth rooting for.
Bastian has been living with a deep darkness inside him since losing his familiar. Without a new bond, he risks losing his magic completely. Enter Winnie, a familiar matchmaker who is supposed to help him find an animal companion except the magic has other plans. Instead of bonding with one of her creatures, Bastian bonds with Winnie herself, which is completely unheard of in a world where mages only bond with animals.
I loved the setup of this story so much. Winnie is trying to save her family after her father’s bad business deal, even if that means marrying her childhood friend Nathaniel and giving up the matchmaking business and creatures she loves. Bastian needs to win the royal mage competition to secure his future as Royal Mage, and somehow Winnie gets pulled right into the chaos including being turned into a squirrel during the trials.
The competition added so much fun and tension, especially as it became clear that someone was interfering with corrupt magic. The mystery, the magical trials, the familiars, the royal politics, and the forest scenes all worked together so well. I loved how the story stayed cozy and whimsical while still having real stakes.
But what truly made this five stars for me was Bastian and Winnie. Their bond was magical, but their connection became so much deeper than that. Bastian choosing Winnie, even when it could cost him everything, absolutely got me. The romance was tender, emotional, and full of those quiet moments that make a fantasy romance feel unforgettable.
I also loved how the ending gave Winnie the future she deserved. Seeing her run the familiar matchmaking business in a way that allowed the animals to choose their own partners was perfect. The new protections for familiars made the ending feel meaningful, and the cozy pink cottage with Bastian, Winnie, and all the creatures was everything I wanted.
This book was magical, heartwarming, funny, emotional, and full of charm. It gave me cozy fantasy, romance, found family creature vibes, and just enough danger to keep me completely hooked. I loved every second of it.
Thank you St Martins Press | Wednesday Books for this ARC!
Bastian has been living with a deep darkness inside him since losing his familiar. Without a new bond, he risks losing his magic completely. Enter Winnie, a familiar matchmaker who is supposed to help him find an animal companion except the magic has other plans. Instead of bonding with one of her creatures, Bastian bonds with Winnie herself, which is completely unheard of in a world where mages only bond with animals.
I loved the setup of this story so much. Winnie is trying to save her family after her father’s bad business deal, even if that means marrying her childhood friend Nathaniel and giving up the matchmaking business and creatures she loves. Bastian needs to win the royal mage competition to secure his future as Royal Mage, and somehow Winnie gets pulled right into the chaos including being turned into a squirrel during the trials.
The competition added so much fun and tension, especially as it became clear that someone was interfering with corrupt magic. The mystery, the magical trials, the familiars, the royal politics, and the forest scenes all worked together so well. I loved how the story stayed cozy and whimsical while still having real stakes.
But what truly made this five stars for me was Bastian and Winnie. Their bond was magical, but their connection became so much deeper than that. Bastian choosing Winnie, even when it could cost him everything, absolutely got me. The romance was tender, emotional, and full of those quiet moments that make a fantasy romance feel unforgettable.
I also loved how the ending gave Winnie the future she deserved. Seeing her run the familiar matchmaking business in a way that allowed the animals to choose their own partners was perfect. The new protections for familiars made the ending feel meaningful, and the cozy pink cottage with Bastian, Winnie, and all the creatures was everything I wanted.
This book was magical, heartwarming, funny, emotional, and full of charm. It gave me cozy fantasy, romance, found family creature vibes, and just enough danger to keep me completely hooked. I loved every second of it.
Thank you St Martins Press | Wednesday Books for this ARC!
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