Witchful Sinking

Midlife at the Magnolia #3

by Jen B. Lassalle

When life tries to drag you under, the only way through is to embrace the sink.

For forty-eight-year-old Simone, life at the Magnolia has never been better. Or more complicated. Proving herself as Supreme led to an expansion of magic way beyond her comfort zone, making her habit of talking to herself backfire in unusual ways.

Meanwhile, the weather's gone wacky, two very hot wolf shifters are vying for her attention, and her steady-as-they-come new bestie Brianne is losing herself in one doozie of a midlife crisis. And apparently so is her house.

Nothing is easy in Treater's Way. Just ask her new patient, who is struggling with an unsettling ability that gives Simone the creepy-crawlies and forces Gumbo to face his most basic kitty instincts.

Some things in life can't be controlled. But Simone finally feels ready to embrace the changes that come with age and growth.

For the most part.

Let the winds of change swirl you into this cozy, heartwarming journey of friendship, magic, and midlife revelations in Witchful Sinking, the stormy third installment of Jen Lassalle's Midlife at the Magnolia series.

Genres: Fantasy

258 pages, Paperback

Published December 25, 2025

About the author

Jen Lassalle is a writer of paranormal women's fiction and midlife fantasy fiction under the pen name JB Lassalle. She likes strong females who are more than just a bit awkward, dimensional males who roll with the punches, and found family friendships that triumph over nuanced bad guys you love to hate.

Jen is a New Orleans resident. The city, and the surrounding areas, serve as a rich backdrop for a world where magic exists and mystical creatures are not only real, but live among us.

When Jen isn’t writing, she’s hanging with her family and friends at a local park or coffee shop. She likes working out, which is kind of weird, loves yoga, and plays video games. Of course, she reads.

Jen and her husband have two kids. One is an avid competitive swimmer (which sucks up all their weekend time). The other is a daydreamer like Jen who plays the Mega Man theme on his guitar and binge watches Stranger Things.

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐ I still enjoy the characters, I love the idea of it. House and Gumbo are still my favorites, but after three of these we're starting to drag a little bit. So far we've come to accept aging gracefully, admit some faults, and repair friendships and working relationships through honesty and vulnerability. Hopefully the next release finds Ray and Ethan on the same page at least, if not back to friends. And when it comes to love for Simone, I almost hope it's someone new. Sometimes the past is there for a reason, no need to relive it. (I wouldn't be mad if she ended up with both guys, but something tells me Lassalle isn't that kind of writer)

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great series. I can't wait to read the next book. The author has created a very interesting world.

Amazon synopsis:
For 48-year-old Simone, life at the Magnolia has never been better. Or more complicated. Proving herself as Supreme led to an expansion of magic way beyond her comfort zone, making her habit of talking to herself backfire in the most annoying ways.

Meanwhile, the weather's gone wacky, two very hot wolf shifters are vying for her attention, and her steady-as-they-come new bestie Brianne is losing herself in one doozie of a midlife crisis. Also, apparently so is her house.

Nothing is easy in Treater's Way. Just ask her new patient, who is struggling with an unsettling ability that gives Simone the creepy-crawlies and forces Gumbo to face his most basic kitty instincts.

Some things in life can't be controlled. But Simone finally feels ready to embrace the changes that come with age and growth.

For the most part.

[Georgen Charnes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once again we have this weepy, exhausted woman, who's pretty much disinterested in everyone else, in charge of this place that has four businesses. She doesn't know anything about three of the four businesses and doesn't care to learn about them. Now we've added clumsiness, I guess to make her "relatable." And an injury, because sometimes she can heal and other times she can't. There's a ritual meant to make the coven a cohesive unit by pretending they're best friends.

I hope the next book features her murder and Brianne becoming the head.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing the series, this book has nature battling Simone, House, and the coven or are they the ones causing the problems? This book was even more action-packed than the last one, making it a fast and enjoyable read.

[Rebecca Goss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable installation of this lovely series about a middle aged woman coming into her power and developing new relationships. There’s humor, friendship, romance and some angst. I like this series and look forward to the next book.

[Tara M Faria · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ I like this series a lot, but by the third book, some parts of the storyline are starting to drag. I’m looking forward to the fourth book in the series. It’s a lot of fun reading about a menopausal witch who just discovered her magic, lives in a magic house, and talks to her magic cat.

[Michelle Halber · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one wasn't as strong. I suspect it was mostly a filler before the love triangle book.

[Emily M Dennison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really a 3.5. I’m invested in the characters but not my favorite one in the series.