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Heartwood Hollow
Meet Cute Magic
She's a witch who can’t fall in love without getting her heart broken. He holds a grudge like no other.
Bookstore owner Rosie Mayfield wants a love of her own, but it’s not meant to be––because of her family's curse. To break it, she conjures a ghost who will break her curse, but for a cost––she has to brew a potion to help him transition to the other side. The problem? There’s only one person who hates Rosie in all of Heartwood Hollow, and she needs his help to complete the required task.
Jack Haggerty, the ghost’s grandson, has lamented about Rosie for years––she’s a disaster and she’s forbidden from visiting his gaming shop. He doesn’t believe in ghosts, so he’s stunned when his beloved grandfather makes an appearance. While he loves his family and will do anything to help his grandpa, he fights against the chemistry brewing between him and Rosie until he can’t anymore. But he doesn’t know how to tell her he no longer wants to go through with the plan, and she won’t admit that she’s falling for him because they’re doomed from the start.
Bookstore owner Rosie Mayfield wants a love of her own, but it’s not meant to be––because of her family's curse. To break it, she conjures a ghost who will break her curse, but for a cost––she has to brew a potion to help him transition to the other side. The problem? There’s only one person who hates Rosie in all of Heartwood Hollow, and she needs his help to complete the required task.
Jack Haggerty, the ghost’s grandson, has lamented about Rosie for years––she’s a disaster and she’s forbidden from visiting his gaming shop. He doesn’t believe in ghosts, so he’s stunned when his beloved grandfather makes an appearance. While he loves his family and will do anything to help his grandpa, he fights against the chemistry brewing between him and Rosie until he can’t anymore. But he doesn’t know how to tell her he no longer wants to go through with the plan, and she won’t admit that she’s falling for him because they’re doomed from the start.
400 pages, Paperback
First published September 8, 2026
About the author
Morgan Elizabeth
28 books6,958 followersMorgan is a born and raised Jersey girl, living there with her two boys, toddler daughter, and mechanic husband. She’s addicted to iced espresso, barbecue chips, and Starburst jellybeans. She usually has headphones on, listening to some spicy audiobook or Taylor Swift. There is rarely an in between.
Writing has been her calling for as long as she can remember. There’s a framed ‘page one’ of a book she wrote at seven hanging in her childhood home to prove the point. Her entire life she’s crafted stories in her mind, begging to be released but it wasn’t until recently she finally gave them the reigns.
I’m so grateful you’ve agreed to take this journey with me.
Writing has been her calling for as long as she can remember. There’s a framed ‘page one’ of a book she wrote at seven hanging in her childhood home to prove the point. Her entire life she’s crafted stories in her mind, begging to be released but it wasn’t until recently she finally gave them the reigns.
I’m so grateful you’ve agreed to take this journey with me.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,138 reviews
August 31, 2026
✨"Sometimes the most magical things are the most ordinary ones."✨
What to expect -
🪄 Cozy witchy romance
🪄 Small town
🪄 Witch FMC x Gamer MMC
🪄 Grumpy x sunshine
🪄 Curses, potions and spells
🪄 Meddling ghost
🪄 Forced proximity
🪄 Opposites attract
🪄 Eldest daughter
The Mayfield witches have been cursed by a warlock to never find love in their lives, and things don't end well whenever one of them gets close to a guy they like. They're bound to lead lonely lives. Rosie Mayfield is desperate to break this curse and find her one true love, so she summons the ghost of the warlock and asks him for a way to break it. The spell calls for a potion to be made, for which she needs the help of Jack Haggerty, the ghost's grandson and Rosie's grumpy neighbour.
This was such a cozy and wholesome witchy romance, and I absolutely loved the whimsical vibes of it. Learning that each of the Mayfield witches has unique powers that they use to keep the town peaceful and happy was so lovely to know. Like, Rosie runs a romance bookstore and helps people find their one true love (ironic that she's never found her own soulmate cuz of the curse), while her sister Violet runs a bakery where she imbues magic into her treats that just brightens the days of anyone eating them. Not all of the pastries have magic, but most of them do, and each one offers a different kind of feeling to the person eating it. Her younger sister, Poppy, runs a flower shop, and her magic is passed through the bouquets she makes. I found all of this to be so whimsical, and I really cannot wait to read the stories of her sisters.
The plot was pretty simple and straightforward, but such a fun one cuz our main characters are forced to work together to collect all the ingredients needed to make that potion. Some of those ingredients are easy to obtain, while some are not, like vampire's tears, and it was quite entertaining to see them go through all the troubles and fun times to gather them🤭😍 And obviously, along the way, our main characters realise that they like each other a lot and that they're not really tolerating each other's presence anymore but are actually welcoming it!
It was wholesome to see Jack go from being an introverted, socially anxious person who never left his place to someone who found people he cares about and with whom he'd be happy to talk for hours. Rosie made this happen and made him feel like he's also a part of this town and that he belongs here. And Jack made her see that she doesn't have to do things all by herself just cuz she's used to doing that, and that it's okay to ask for help when needed and to share the burden with the people she cares for.
Overall, this was a cozy, fun read, and my only complaints are that the characters read too young at times, which bothered me a bit. I also liked them more as friends working together toward a single goal than as lovers cuz I didn't buy the chemistry between them😬.
I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for a silly, fun time with cozy witchy vibes and nothing too serious.
Huge thanks to Netgalley and Union Square & Co. for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
✨Pre-read:
Yayy, I got the ARC😍 It really sounds like a cozy, fun, witchy time and the perfect way to start September🍂✨
What to expect -
🪄 Cozy witchy romance
🪄 Small town
🪄 Witch FMC x Gamer MMC
🪄 Grumpy x sunshine
🪄 Curses, potions and spells
🪄 Meddling ghost
🪄 Forced proximity
🪄 Opposites attract
🪄 Eldest daughter
The Mayfield witches have been cursed by a warlock to never find love in their lives, and things don't end well whenever one of them gets close to a guy they like. They're bound to lead lonely lives. Rosie Mayfield is desperate to break this curse and find her one true love, so she summons the ghost of the warlock and asks him for a way to break it. The spell calls for a potion to be made, for which she needs the help of Jack Haggerty, the ghost's grandson and Rosie's grumpy neighbour.
This was such a cozy and wholesome witchy romance, and I absolutely loved the whimsical vibes of it. Learning that each of the Mayfield witches has unique powers that they use to keep the town peaceful and happy was so lovely to know. Like, Rosie runs a romance bookstore and helps people find their one true love (ironic that she's never found her own soulmate cuz of the curse), while her sister Violet runs a bakery where she imbues magic into her treats that just brightens the days of anyone eating them. Not all of the pastries have magic, but most of them do, and each one offers a different kind of feeling to the person eating it. Her younger sister, Poppy, runs a flower shop, and her magic is passed through the bouquets she makes. I found all of this to be so whimsical, and I really cannot wait to read the stories of her sisters.
The plot was pretty simple and straightforward, but such a fun one cuz our main characters are forced to work together to collect all the ingredients needed to make that potion. Some of those ingredients are easy to obtain, while some are not, like vampire's tears, and it was quite entertaining to see them go through all the troubles and fun times to gather them🤭😍 And obviously, along the way, our main characters realise that they like each other a lot and that they're not really tolerating each other's presence anymore but are actually welcoming it!
It was wholesome to see Jack go from being an introverted, socially anxious person who never left his place to someone who found people he cares about and with whom he'd be happy to talk for hours. Rosie made this happen and made him feel like he's also a part of this town and that he belongs here. And Jack made her see that she doesn't have to do things all by herself just cuz she's used to doing that, and that it's okay to ask for help when needed and to share the burden with the people she cares for.
Overall, this was a cozy, fun read, and my only complaints are that the characters read too young at times, which bothered me a bit. I also liked them more as friends working together toward a single goal than as lovers cuz I didn't buy the chemistry between them😬.
I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for a silly, fun time with cozy witchy vibes and nothing too serious.
Huge thanks to Netgalley and Union Square & Co. for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
✨Pre-read:
Yayy, I got the ARC😍 It really sounds like a cozy, fun, witchy time and the perfect way to start September🍂✨
September 12, 2026
Meet Cute Magic is a sweet and cozy romance following Rosie, a witch cursed to never find love, and Jack, the grumpy business owner across from her bookshop. Determined to break her family's curse, Rosie summons the man responsible, only to be met with the ghost of Jack's grandpa. After revealing the truth to Jack and bringing him into the world of all things magic, the two embark on a mission to free her from a life without love. This fun and charming romance is the perfect read for fall! All the magical happenings and swoony moments between Jack and Rosie made for such a fun time. I absolutely adored how their relationship evolved, with the two taking the time to understand one another before slowly falling for each other. Their banter and chemistry developed so naturally as they spent more time together, and I just loved how sweet they were with each other. Aside from the romance, I enjoyed all the magical and small town moments that brought Jack and Rosie closer and made this such a charming read. This enchanting and warm story couldn't be more suited for fall!
~Many thanks to Union Square & Co for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
~Many thanks to Union Square & Co for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
July 12, 2026
✨ARC Book Review✨
This book is the perfect fall read! It seriously gave all the fun witchy vibes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch with the perfect amount of spice!
Rosie is convinced every relationship she has is doomed because her family is cursed. Determined to break the curse, she summons Phillip, the spirit she believes cursed her grandmother in order to ask him to remove the curse. In the process of attempting to gather the ingredients to break the curse, she ends up working with Jack, the business owner next door and just so happens to be Phillip’s grandson.
Rosie was the best! She was so carefree, wild, easy to love. It was so fun watching her take Jack along on her magical quest. The scenarios they kept finding themselves in were so hilarious because Jack was literally clueless.
When they had to perform the kissing bond to verify their connection, I literally was dying! It was totally the push they needed. I loved it so much!
Jack! Omg, Jack… Okay, first off, he’s so grumpy and cute. I love a nerdy man. But oh my gosh, once he flipped the switch to flirty and sexy, he was all man. The things he did to Rosie was chef’s kiss.
I adored them! I loved the ending. I was so torn and felt compassion for all involved! The ending had my jaw on the ground. It totally got me!
Thank you, NetGalley and Union Square & Co. Publishing, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book is the perfect fall read! It seriously gave all the fun witchy vibes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch with the perfect amount of spice!
Rosie is convinced every relationship she has is doomed because her family is cursed. Determined to break the curse, she summons Phillip, the spirit she believes cursed her grandmother in order to ask him to remove the curse. In the process of attempting to gather the ingredients to break the curse, she ends up working with Jack, the business owner next door and just so happens to be Phillip’s grandson.
Rosie was the best! She was so carefree, wild, easy to love. It was so fun watching her take Jack along on her magical quest. The scenarios they kept finding themselves in were so hilarious because Jack was literally clueless.
When they had to perform the kissing bond to verify their connection, I literally was dying! It was totally the push they needed. I loved it so much!
Jack! Omg, Jack… Okay, first off, he’s so grumpy and cute. I love a nerdy man. But oh my gosh, once he flipped the switch to flirty and sexy, he was all man. The things he did to Rosie was chef’s kiss.
I adored them! I loved the ending. I was so torn and felt compassion for all involved! The ending had my jaw on the ground. It totally got me!
Thank you, NetGalley and Union Square & Co. Publishing, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 26, 2026
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── 4.85 stars
OH MY GOSH!!!!! insane this was so phenomenal
cannot wait for the rest of this series!!!!!!
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
i adore all things morgan elizabeth, i know this will be the perfect fall read!! the cover is sooo cute and a cozy small town romance with a witch and the grandson of the man who cursed her family?!! YES!! + they have their stores across the street from each other and she's the bane of his existence & he's a grump! <3
YAYYYYY morgan trad debut!!! soso proud of her and cannot wait to get my hands on this!
edit: I GOT THE ARC.
OH MY GOSH!!!!! insane this was so phenomenal
cannot wait for the rest of this series!!!!!!
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
i adore all things morgan elizabeth, i know this will be the perfect fall read!! the cover is sooo cute and a cozy small town romance with a witch and the grandson of the man who cursed her family?!! YES!! + they have their stores across the street from each other and she's the bane of his existence & he's a grump! <3
YAYYYYY morgan trad debut!!! soso proud of her and cannot wait to get my hands on this!
edit: I GOT THE ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I love Morgan's books, especially her Christmas ones, so I was really excited to read her upcoming fall romance as someone who LOVES all things cozy and fall. Unfortunately, this one fell a bit flat from me from the beginning. These characters read very young, so this definitely felt more upper YA with spice, which is not my favorite in my romances. They bickered but it just didn't come across as endearing to me. And when it came to the world building, it seemed like we were told so much about how the magic and curse worked, and we weren't really shown that, so I wasn't really pulled into this story or connected to their journey of breaking this curse. Sometimes things were brought up for the sake of the plot like, oh yeah, there's also this magic thing! So I would have liked a bit more time spent exploring the magic system organically throughout the beginning. And the romance was just okay for me, so I'm sad to say I just didn't love this one.
September 9, 2026
Grab a warm mug of your favorite drink and a cozy oversized blanket, because we need to talk about Meet Cute Magic by Morgan Elizabeth. 🧡 I loved this book!
If you’ve been on the hunt for an autumn read that feels like a mashup of all things spooky season, from Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic, to Sabrina the Teenage Witch, this is it. It delivers all the nostalgic, witchy magical energy you could want: small-town romance, scenes that are literally counting down to Halloween, fresh apple cider donuts, busybody neighbors, and cozy vibes with elements of witchcraft.
At the heart of the story is the way Morgan Elizabeth hones in on the most beloved aspects of the romance genre, and how and why we continue to fall in love with it (again and again). Right from the beginning, I loved the chaos of it all, especially the grumpy sunshine dynamic in every scene between Rosie and Jack. Rosie is our sweet bookish FMC, and if she wasn't endearing enough, she's also a witch with magical powers. She owns the town bookstore, takes care of everyone around her before herself, and is desperately trying to break a generational family curse that dooms her love life after dumping an absolutely toxic cheating ex. Right next door is Jack, who runs the local gaming shop and always manages to clash with Rosie in an unhinged hurricane of chaotic interactions.
When Rosie summons a ghost (who happens to be Jack’s snarky meddling grandfather), the two are thrown together in an adventure to brew a potion and help him pass on. The collision of the bookish rom-com world and the gamer world creates top-tier tension, playful banter, and mutual pining. And Percy, Rosie’s delightfully devilish and adorable cat, adds an extra layer of mischief to every interaction.
I love books with these specific tropes, and Morgan Elizabeth had me hooked with the charming grumpy sunshine vibes and opposites attract, hilarious banter and utter chaos, to fated mates and “it's always been you” energy. I already can't wait for Vi's story and more from Heartwood Hollow!
Beneath the cozy seasonal magic and laugh-out-loud banter and collisions, there is a genuinely sweet message about self-discovery, learning to ask for help, and finally choosing love for yourself. It’s warm, bingeable, and the ultimate fall comfort read.
Perfect if you love:
🍂Gilmore Girls
✨️ Practical Magic
🐈⬛️ Sabrina the Teenage Witch
🧹 Hocus Pocus
❤️ Cozy fall romances with spice
🔮 Witchy magical vibes
✨️ Small-town romance
🥰 A meddling grandfather
🧡 Nosy neighbors and townsfolk
🎃 Everything about autumn
👻 Spooky season
📚 Bookish FMC
🎲 Gamer MMC
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine dynamic
😂 Funny Banter
👀 All the Tension
✨️ Forced Proximity
😍 Fated Mates
❤️ “It's always been you” energy
Books like:
🪄🩷🧹 Rewitched and Uncharmed by Lucy Jane Wood (everyday witchy magic and personal growth)
🎲💜 Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods (heartwarming romcom with nerdy D&D vibes)
🎮💙 Next Level Love by Shameez Patel
(Two gamers fall in love online, and they're actually coworkers! Witty banter and opposites-attract chemistry)
Thank you to The Nerd Fam and Union Square and Co. for an advanced reader copy of this book for review consideration. I am choosing to write this review voluntarily, and these are my honest opinions.
If you’ve been on the hunt for an autumn read that feels like a mashup of all things spooky season, from Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic, to Sabrina the Teenage Witch, this is it. It delivers all the nostalgic, witchy magical energy you could want: small-town romance, scenes that are literally counting down to Halloween, fresh apple cider donuts, busybody neighbors, and cozy vibes with elements of witchcraft.
At the heart of the story is the way Morgan Elizabeth hones in on the most beloved aspects of the romance genre, and how and why we continue to fall in love with it (again and again). Right from the beginning, I loved the chaos of it all, especially the grumpy sunshine dynamic in every scene between Rosie and Jack. Rosie is our sweet bookish FMC, and if she wasn't endearing enough, she's also a witch with magical powers. She owns the town bookstore, takes care of everyone around her before herself, and is desperately trying to break a generational family curse that dooms her love life after dumping an absolutely toxic cheating ex. Right next door is Jack, who runs the local gaming shop and always manages to clash with Rosie in an unhinged hurricane of chaotic interactions.
When Rosie summons a ghost (who happens to be Jack’s snarky meddling grandfather), the two are thrown together in an adventure to brew a potion and help him pass on. The collision of the bookish rom-com world and the gamer world creates top-tier tension, playful banter, and mutual pining. And Percy, Rosie’s delightfully devilish and adorable cat, adds an extra layer of mischief to every interaction.
I love books with these specific tropes, and Morgan Elizabeth had me hooked with the charming grumpy sunshine vibes and opposites attract, hilarious banter and utter chaos, to fated mates and “it's always been you” energy. I already can't wait for Vi's story and more from Heartwood Hollow!
Beneath the cozy seasonal magic and laugh-out-loud banter and collisions, there is a genuinely sweet message about self-discovery, learning to ask for help, and finally choosing love for yourself. It’s warm, bingeable, and the ultimate fall comfort read.
Perfect if you love:
🍂Gilmore Girls
✨️ Practical Magic
🐈⬛️ Sabrina the Teenage Witch
🧹 Hocus Pocus
❤️ Cozy fall romances with spice
🔮 Witchy magical vibes
✨️ Small-town romance
🥰 A meddling grandfather
🧡 Nosy neighbors and townsfolk
🎃 Everything about autumn
👻 Spooky season
📚 Bookish FMC
🎲 Gamer MMC
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine dynamic
😂 Funny Banter
👀 All the Tension
✨️ Forced Proximity
😍 Fated Mates
❤️ “It's always been you” energy
Books like:
🪄🩷🧹 Rewitched and Uncharmed by Lucy Jane Wood (everyday witchy magic and personal growth)
🎲💜 Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods (heartwarming romcom with nerdy D&D vibes)
🎮💙 Next Level Love by Shameez Patel
(Two gamers fall in love online, and they're actually coworkers! Witty banter and opposites-attract chemistry)
Thank you to The Nerd Fam and Union Square and Co. for an advanced reader copy of this book for review consideration. I am choosing to write this review voluntarily, and these are my honest opinions.
July 29, 2026
Thank to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange of an honest review.
As always, Morgan Elizabeth can do no wrong! And as always, she has perfected this small town grumpy x sunshine novel.
This is such a fun read! You get the witchness elements mixed with romance, and I honestly couldn't put this book down. I loved reading their adventure and getting to watch them slowly fall in love.
With Halloween season nearing, I absolutely recommend this book! ♡
As always, Morgan Elizabeth can do no wrong! And as always, she has perfected this small town grumpy x sunshine novel.
This is such a fun read! You get the witchness elements mixed with romance, and I honestly couldn't put this book down. I loved reading their adventure and getting to watch them slowly fall in love.
With Halloween season nearing, I absolutely recommend this book! ♡
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Did Not Finish
June 15, 2026Netgalley ARC
DNF 14%
So this one was really going great, but I was afraid to read more without looking for some safety details about him, and I’m not interested anymore I guess.
He had a friends with benefits situation with a woman in their town. And while she had lots of boyfriends (thank God!!!!!), I hate his past history so fucking much. Seriously I hate when mmcs’ past hookups are from the same town, and then they appear in the story. NO!
“I have… an in. I can make an appointment and scan over the datebook when I do.” Phillip lets out an amused sound, but I ignore it, turning fully to Jack.
“An in?”
That all too familiar blush burns across his cheeks before he nods and explains. “I used to date Jeanette.”
My body stills, a mix of confusion and another emotion I won’t look at too closely taking over.
“The receptionist?”
He nods.
“Jeanette Smith?” I clarify further.
He smiles and nods. I don’t… I don’t know how to handle that. Jeanette is an absolute bombshell, all tits and ass and a fuck ton of hair anyone would be jealous of, and she knows how to work all of it. The idea that Jack dated someone, someone as gorgeous and sexy and outgoing as Jeanette, just… doesn’t fit.
“When?” He reaches behind his head and scratches the back of his neck before shrugging, but answers all the same.
“I don’t know. We stopped seeing each other maybe… six months ago?”
“How long were you together?”
“Is that jealousy I’m sensing, Rosemary?” Phillip asks, and I fight the sudden urge for my jaw to go tight, instead giving the ghost the middle finger.
“No. I just…” I want to know because about eight months ago, Jeanette came into my store looking for a book. She told me she was really into some new guy she was dating and wanted to keep the happy feeling going. There was no reason not to, but for some reason, I didn’t think she was ready for a love pick. So I pointed her in the right direction of the rom-coms and let her shop on her own, not giving her a love match. It’s haunted me since, especially when Violet told me that a month later, Jeanette came into her shop upset and looking for a pick-me-up.
She’d been dumped. By Jack, it seems. And I can’t help but think part of that was my fault, that if I’d given her a love book, she would have found her magical happily ever after. Despite the guilt eating at me even now, I can’t help but feel that tiny spark of satisfaction burning in my chest. The idea that Jack is single might have something to do with me. Not that it matters. I’m cursed. I can’t fall in love. We’re just fuck buddies, as he put it. And once this curse is broken, I’ll go off on my merry way and find the true love of my life once and for all.
“I’m not jealous. I’m just… surprised. I hear all the Heartwood Hollow gossip. And you don’t… people.”
“I’ve been with women, Rosie,” Jack says with a smug smile. It takes everything in my being not to react to those words, to the idea of him having been with other women. “I just don’t date them, not really. I don’t go to dinner with them or spend nights playing video games or going on adventures with them.”
His words are pointed, his face assessing, and my stomach starts to turn in on itself. His words are so intentional, but I don’t have the guts to actually ask him, so I don’t.
Instead, I smile and widen my eyes, raising my eyebrows repeatedly. He rolls his eyes and continues on. “Anyway, I think she thought it was more than it was, so I broke it off before things got too… complicated.”
I wonder if that happens a lot, Jack making people feel special and different, only for it to be a miscommunication. A sense of relief washes through me that we won’t have that problem, not with everything coming to an end when the full moon hits, of course. I wouldn’t want a miscommunication to ruin the friendship I’m learning to value.
I give him a tight smile before turning back to the task at hand. “I’m surprised because… well, you know,” I say without meaning it.
“I don’t,” he says with a teasing smile that tells me he very much does know.
“I think you should tell me explicitly what you were surprised about.” Phillip chuckles, entertained by the back-and-forth, and I roll my eyes, trying to ignore the burning blush that is creeping down to my chest now.
“That you dated someone in town? That you’re suave enough to land a hottie like Jeanette?”
“I landed you, didn’t I?”
My pulse rockets again, and in that moment, I think he’s spending way too much time with me because he’s getting way too good at the comebacks. Who is this man across from me, and what has he done with my shy, grumpy neighbor? I clear my throat, but I’m unable to clear my mind as well.
Still, I take a deep breath and grin. “Point made.”
“We weren’t dating, per se. Well, I didn’t think we were. It was just a… benefits, thing,” Jack explains.
“Friends with benefits?”
He shrugs. “I guess you could call it that.”
It settles heavy and uncomfortable in my stomach, a foreign feeling taking root. Jealousy? Hurt? I’m not sure, but the fact that this isn’t Jack’s first foray into friends with benefits settles over me. Is this not… special to him?
“Less friends, though,” he clarifies, as if he can see the thoughts running through my mind and wants to mollify me. It doesn’t matter, though, I remind myself. This is fun. This is just friends. Friends don’t care about friends’ sexual or dating history, not really.
“So… are you sure you want to go there? Maybe I should, if there’s bad blood between you both,” I ask, trying to change the subject. “I could go and try to butter her up.”
He shakes his head. “That would be a bad idea.”
“What? Why?”
“She, uh… I don’t think she likes you.” He cringes at me, and I blink back at him.
“I’m sorry?”
He shrugs. “She doesn’t like you.”
“But I’m… I’m… I’m delightful.”
A small smile tips on Jack’s lips. “Well, she disagrees.” “Well, she’s an idiot,” I say.
Jack’s smile turns entertained, and he lets out a small laugh like he can’t fight it back before wrapping an arm around my waist and tugging me into him.
“Yeah, she is. But she’s also…” He pauses, contemplating how to say his next words before proceeding. “She came in a few days ago. Asking if I wanted to get coffee with her. See if we could… work things out. Try again.”
I lift an eyebrow taking him in skeptically, my stomach in knots at the thought of Jeanette, gorgeous Jeanette with her lustrous long hair that I could only manage with a tonic if I remembered to put it on every single night (unlikely), with her curves and her somehow flat-as-a-board stomach that I couldn’t have if I even wanted to because I will never stop eating sweet treats on the regular, and her sex kitten voice that even I think is hot, striding into the Gaming Den with reconciliation on her mind.
“And?” I ask.
“And,” he says, using a hand to smooth some of my hair back. He does that a lot, pushing hair behind my ear or my shoulder, like he’s worried it’s in my face, worried it’s bothering me. I used to wear it back when I was working to avoid just that, but I’ve found lately I’m letting it go more and more. “Before she got an answer, a small redheaded witch rushed through the doors and attacked me because she guessed the ending of her book correctly.”
I blink, trying to remember the day. I remember the book because I’d been telling him about it a few days earlier. It was the mystery and suspense romance I’d been reading after his event. When I finished the book on a slow day at the shop, I realized I’d been right and instantly needed to tell Jack about it. I flipped my sign to closed and nearly sprinted across the way to tell him.
When I work through the memory a bit, I do remember him talking to… someone, but I was so excited that I couldn’t focus on anything other than telling him. And then his arm was around my waist, and he was tugging me into his side and pressing a kiss to my hair, giving me a soft, good job, babe, so I was a bit distracted. But apparently, he was standing there with Jeanette. And she was asking him about their friends’ benefits situation, only for me to flaunt my own in her face. Oh, god, that was so uncool of me. But also, a small, very petty part of me giggles and steeples her fingers maniacally. I push her aside and put on my logical thinking hat.
“So what, you’re going to go in and flirt with her and sneak a peek at her appointment book?”
“Pretty much.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but I’m skeptical. This is Jack we’re dealing with, after all.
“Wanna go now?” I stare at him for another beat before shrugging reluctantly.
“Sure.” He stares at me again, then smiles wide before pulling my face into his, kissing me.
That’s about 60-66% in, he then proceeds to flirt with Jeanette (to get info but anyway). That also makes the fmc jealous. Yeah nope, I’m out. Glad my gut saved me again.
Most probably it wouldn’t be bothering me that much if:
1) fmc and mmc didn’t know each other at that time (but they did, for 3 years, and yes, I’m hypocritical since fmc had boyfriends, I don’t care)
2) that ow weren’t from their town
3) that ow never appeared in the book. But oh well.
On the plus side, like I mentioned, fmc dated lots of guys, it never worked out because of the curse.
DNF 14%
So this one was really going great, but I was afraid to read more without looking for some safety details about him, and I’m not interested anymore I guess.
He had a friends with benefits situation with a woman in their town. And while she had lots of boyfriends (thank God!!!!!), I hate his past history so fucking much. Seriously I hate when mmcs’ past hookups are from the same town, and then they appear in the story. NO!
“I have… an in. I can make an appointment and scan over the datebook when I do.” Phillip lets out an amused sound, but I ignore it, turning fully to Jack.
“An in?”
That all too familiar blush burns across his cheeks before he nods and explains. “I used to date Jeanette.”
My body stills, a mix of confusion and another emotion I won’t look at too closely taking over.
“The receptionist?”
He nods.
“Jeanette Smith?” I clarify further.
He smiles and nods. I don’t… I don’t know how to handle that. Jeanette is an absolute bombshell, all tits and ass and a fuck ton of hair anyone would be jealous of, and she knows how to work all of it. The idea that Jack dated someone, someone as gorgeous and sexy and outgoing as Jeanette, just… doesn’t fit.
“When?” He reaches behind his head and scratches the back of his neck before shrugging, but answers all the same.
“I don’t know. We stopped seeing each other maybe… six months ago?”
“How long were you together?”
“Is that jealousy I’m sensing, Rosemary?” Phillip asks, and I fight the sudden urge for my jaw to go tight, instead giving the ghost the middle finger.
“No. I just…” I want to know because about eight months ago, Jeanette came into my store looking for a book. She told me she was really into some new guy she was dating and wanted to keep the happy feeling going. There was no reason not to, but for some reason, I didn’t think she was ready for a love pick. So I pointed her in the right direction of the rom-coms and let her shop on her own, not giving her a love match. It’s haunted me since, especially when Violet told me that a month later, Jeanette came into her shop upset and looking for a pick-me-up.
She’d been dumped. By Jack, it seems. And I can’t help but think part of that was my fault, that if I’d given her a love book, she would have found her magical happily ever after. Despite the guilt eating at me even now, I can’t help but feel that tiny spark of satisfaction burning in my chest. The idea that Jack is single might have something to do with me. Not that it matters. I’m cursed. I can’t fall in love. We’re just fuck buddies, as he put it. And once this curse is broken, I’ll go off on my merry way and find the true love of my life once and for all.
“I’m not jealous. I’m just… surprised. I hear all the Heartwood Hollow gossip. And you don’t… people.”
“I’ve been with women, Rosie,” Jack says with a smug smile. It takes everything in my being not to react to those words, to the idea of him having been with other women. “I just don’t date them, not really. I don’t go to dinner with them or spend nights playing video games or going on adventures with them.”
His words are pointed, his face assessing, and my stomach starts to turn in on itself. His words are so intentional, but I don’t have the guts to actually ask him, so I don’t.
Instead, I smile and widen my eyes, raising my eyebrows repeatedly. He rolls his eyes and continues on. “Anyway, I think she thought it was more than it was, so I broke it off before things got too… complicated.”
I wonder if that happens a lot, Jack making people feel special and different, only for it to be a miscommunication. A sense of relief washes through me that we won’t have that problem, not with everything coming to an end when the full moon hits, of course. I wouldn’t want a miscommunication to ruin the friendship I’m learning to value.
I give him a tight smile before turning back to the task at hand. “I’m surprised because… well, you know,” I say without meaning it.
“I don’t,” he says with a teasing smile that tells me he very much does know.
“I think you should tell me explicitly what you were surprised about.” Phillip chuckles, entertained by the back-and-forth, and I roll my eyes, trying to ignore the burning blush that is creeping down to my chest now.
“That you dated someone in town? That you’re suave enough to land a hottie like Jeanette?”
“I landed you, didn’t I?”
My pulse rockets again, and in that moment, I think he’s spending way too much time with me because he’s getting way too good at the comebacks. Who is this man across from me, and what has he done with my shy, grumpy neighbor? I clear my throat, but I’m unable to clear my mind as well.
Still, I take a deep breath and grin. “Point made.”
“We weren’t dating, per se. Well, I didn’t think we were. It was just a… benefits, thing,” Jack explains.
“Friends with benefits?”
He shrugs. “I guess you could call it that.”
It settles heavy and uncomfortable in my stomach, a foreign feeling taking root. Jealousy? Hurt? I’m not sure, but the fact that this isn’t Jack’s first foray into friends with benefits settles over me. Is this not… special to him?
“Less friends, though,” he clarifies, as if he can see the thoughts running through my mind and wants to mollify me. It doesn’t matter, though, I remind myself. This is fun. This is just friends. Friends don’t care about friends’ sexual or dating history, not really.
“So… are you sure you want to go there? Maybe I should, if there’s bad blood between you both,” I ask, trying to change the subject. “I could go and try to butter her up.”
He shakes his head. “That would be a bad idea.”
“What? Why?”
“She, uh… I don’t think she likes you.” He cringes at me, and I blink back at him.
“I’m sorry?”
He shrugs. “She doesn’t like you.”
“But I’m… I’m… I’m delightful.”
A small smile tips on Jack’s lips. “Well, she disagrees.” “Well, she’s an idiot,” I say.
Jack’s smile turns entertained, and he lets out a small laugh like he can’t fight it back before wrapping an arm around my waist and tugging me into him.
“Yeah, she is. But she’s also…” He pauses, contemplating how to say his next words before proceeding. “She came in a few days ago. Asking if I wanted to get coffee with her. See if we could… work things out. Try again.”
I lift an eyebrow taking him in skeptically, my stomach in knots at the thought of Jeanette, gorgeous Jeanette with her lustrous long hair that I could only manage with a tonic if I remembered to put it on every single night (unlikely), with her curves and her somehow flat-as-a-board stomach that I couldn’t have if I even wanted to because I will never stop eating sweet treats on the regular, and her sex kitten voice that even I think is hot, striding into the Gaming Den with reconciliation on her mind.
“And?” I ask.
“And,” he says, using a hand to smooth some of my hair back. He does that a lot, pushing hair behind my ear or my shoulder, like he’s worried it’s in my face, worried it’s bothering me. I used to wear it back when I was working to avoid just that, but I’ve found lately I’m letting it go more and more. “Before she got an answer, a small redheaded witch rushed through the doors and attacked me because she guessed the ending of her book correctly.”
I blink, trying to remember the day. I remember the book because I’d been telling him about it a few days earlier. It was the mystery and suspense romance I’d been reading after his event. When I finished the book on a slow day at the shop, I realized I’d been right and instantly needed to tell Jack about it. I flipped my sign to closed and nearly sprinted across the way to tell him.
When I work through the memory a bit, I do remember him talking to… someone, but I was so excited that I couldn’t focus on anything other than telling him. And then his arm was around my waist, and he was tugging me into his side and pressing a kiss to my hair, giving me a soft, good job, babe, so I was a bit distracted. But apparently, he was standing there with Jeanette. And she was asking him about their friends’ benefits situation, only for me to flaunt my own in her face. Oh, god, that was so uncool of me. But also, a small, very petty part of me giggles and steeples her fingers maniacally. I push her aside and put on my logical thinking hat.
“So what, you’re going to go in and flirt with her and sneak a peek at her appointment book?”
“Pretty much.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but I’m skeptical. This is Jack we’re dealing with, after all.
“Wanna go now?” I stare at him for another beat before shrugging reluctantly.
“Sure.” He stares at me again, then smiles wide before pulling my face into his, kissing me.
That’s about 60-66% in, he then proceeds to flirt with Jeanette (to get info but anyway). That also makes the fmc jealous. Yeah nope, I’m out. Glad my gut saved me again.
Most probably it wouldn’t be bothering me that much if:
1) fmc and mmc didn’t know each other at that time (but they did, for 3 years, and yes, I’m hypocritical since fmc had boyfriends, I don’t care)
2) that ow weren’t from their town
3) that ow never appeared in the book. But oh well.
On the plus side, like I mentioned, fmc dated lots of guys, it never worked out because of the curse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2026
A fall, witchy, Halloween read in July. 🐈⬛
Why not?
This isn’t my normal book vibes I read.
But for Morgan Elizabeth I dove in.
And it was remarkably fun and cute!
Practical magic x Gilmore Girls vibes?
Yes.
We’ve got sister witches and supernatural being.
But the town is pure Gilmore Girl.
Rosie & Jack
Neighboring store owners
A gamer with a gaming store
-(also not my type of MMC but I adored him)
A witch with a romance book store
Grumpy x sunshine
And dun dun dun. A family love curse.
Cue a ghost. 👻
Cue banter.
Cue a magical potion ingredient quest.
“Sometimes the most magical things are the most ordinary ones.” 🪄
Netgalley arc review ✨
Why not?
This isn’t my normal book vibes I read.
But for Morgan Elizabeth I dove in.
And it was remarkably fun and cute!
Practical magic x Gilmore Girls vibes?
Yes.
We’ve got sister witches and supernatural being.
But the town is pure Gilmore Girl.
Rosie & Jack
Neighboring store owners
A gamer with a gaming store
-(also not my type of MMC but I adored him)
A witch with a romance book store
Grumpy x sunshine
And dun dun dun. A family love curse.
Cue a ghost. 👻
Cue banter.
Cue a magical potion ingredient quest.
“Sometimes the most magical things are the most ordinary ones.” 🪄
Netgalley arc review ✨
September 20, 2026
This was absolutely cute as shit. It’s about a witch whose family is cursed to always have their love end in heartbreak. So she decides to summon the ghost of the man who cursed her family line. In exchange for her helping him by brewing a potion that will allow him to pass on to the afterlife, he’ll end the curse for her.
But turns out, the ghost is also the grand father of her neighbor who seems to despise her.
Her neighbor decides to participate in the ingredient collecting and potion making to help his grand father and to learn about magic.
There’s a small town vibe, lots of spoken word spells, and unique types of magic for the witchy main character and her two witch sisters.
The main characters were also really fun to me. The FMC is so bubbly and likable, and she owns a bookstore. The MMC is a hot, introverted, nerdy gamer who owns the game store across from her.
I also particularly loved the kiss bond element of the story and how that magic worked. I haven’t seen that done before in a witchy book.
At times I thought that it was aggressively bookish for the booktok and booktube girls, but even that grew on me and I ended up loving that aspect of the story too.
It was adorable and comforting and it met and exceeded my expectations.
Also, congratulations to Morgan Elizabeth for her first traditionally published book!! I’m so freaking happy for her.
But turns out, the ghost is also the grand father of her neighbor who seems to despise her.
Her neighbor decides to participate in the ingredient collecting and potion making to help his grand father and to learn about magic.
There’s a small town vibe, lots of spoken word spells, and unique types of magic for the witchy main character and her two witch sisters.
The main characters were also really fun to me. The FMC is so bubbly and likable, and she owns a bookstore. The MMC is a hot, introverted, nerdy gamer who owns the game store across from her.
I also particularly loved the kiss bond element of the story and how that magic worked. I haven’t seen that done before in a witchy book.
At times I thought that it was aggressively bookish for the booktok and booktube girls, but even that grew on me and I ended up loving that aspect of the story too.
It was adorable and comforting and it met and exceeded my expectations.
Also, congratulations to Morgan Elizabeth for her first traditionally published book!! I’m so freaking happy for her.
September 4, 2026
The PERFECT Fall read!! It’s very cute and cozy paranormal romance that would just perfect for a cozy fall day!
Rosie’s trying to break the curse put on her grandmother that’s affected her family, for their relationship to end horribly once they say I love you. So she summons the ghost of the man who placed the curse on them. He tells her he can break the curse, but she needs to get the ingredients, one of them being in the game store across the street owned by his grumpy grandson.
I loved the banter between Rosie and Jack! I thought it was very cute and charming. I also loved how down bad Jack was for Rosie!! Ahh!!
The magic system is very cute too! I loved everything with the kiss bond and how every sister had their own type of magic! The town is also super cute and charming! Very Gilmore Girls!!
I definitely recommend picking this up!! So cute!!
Read if you like:
Paranormal romance
Grumpy x Sunshine
Kiss bond
Ghosts but silly
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Union Square for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
Rosie’s trying to break the curse put on her grandmother that’s affected her family, for their relationship to end horribly once they say I love you. So she summons the ghost of the man who placed the curse on them. He tells her he can break the curse, but she needs to get the ingredients, one of them being in the game store across the street owned by his grumpy grandson.
I loved the banter between Rosie and Jack! I thought it was very cute and charming. I also loved how down bad Jack was for Rosie!! Ahh!!
The magic system is very cute too! I loved everything with the kiss bond and how every sister had their own type of magic! The town is also super cute and charming! Very Gilmore Girls!!
I definitely recommend picking this up!! So cute!!
Read if you like:
Paranormal romance
Grumpy x Sunshine
Kiss bond
Ghosts but silly
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Union Square for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An absolute autumn must-read that delivers the ultimate cozy, small-town paranormal vibes. It’s hilarious, effortlessly witty, and packed with that perfect blend of sweet and spicy moments that keep you hooked.
The story centers on Rosie, a chaotic romance bookstore owner whose magic helps everyone else find their happily-ever-after while her own love life remains cursed. When she decides to finally break the family curse, she drags her grumpy, introverted gamer next-door neighbor Jack into a mad dash to gather potion ingredients before the full moon.
Rosie is an endearing, walking disaster who leaves a trail of pure chaos and accidental destruction everywhere she goes (poor Jack and his store). Jack is the definition of a grumpy hero completely down bad for the sunshine heroine while being aggressively in denial about it.
Their banter is top-tier, and watching them navigate the forced proximity of a magical scavenger hunt is endlessly entertaining.
If you love the grumpy/sunshine trope executed to perfection, this hits every single mark. It's funny, incredibly cute, and brings together a reader and a gamer in a pairing that genuinely feels made in heaven.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The story centers on Rosie, a chaotic romance bookstore owner whose magic helps everyone else find their happily-ever-after while her own love life remains cursed. When she decides to finally break the family curse, she drags her grumpy, introverted gamer next-door neighbor Jack into a mad dash to gather potion ingredients before the full moon.
Rosie is an endearing, walking disaster who leaves a trail of pure chaos and accidental destruction everywhere she goes (poor Jack and his store). Jack is the definition of a grumpy hero completely down bad for the sunshine heroine while being aggressively in denial about it.
Their banter is top-tier, and watching them navigate the forced proximity of a magical scavenger hunt is endlessly entertaining.
If you love the grumpy/sunshine trope executed to perfection, this hits every single mark. It's funny, incredibly cute, and brings together a reader and a gamer in a pairing that genuinely feels made in heaven.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
[arc review] I really wanted to enjoy this, but it just fell flat. I powered on through to the end hoping I’d like it more, but overall I don’t think I’m the audience for this book. don’t get me wrong, it’s a very cozy magical romance, but at times it felt very juvenile?
a lot of things just didn’t make sense to me, and it felt like the characters behaved like teenagers instead of the adults they’re supposed to be.
the curse had so much potential but wasn’t fleshed out like I would’ve hoped. it also didn’t make sense in hindsight.
rosie’s grandmother was cursed by a man she rejected, meaning they can’t truly be in love with someone as the relationship is doomed from the start. if this is the case, how did rosie’s parents stay together long enough to have not one, but three children? as rosie and her sisters are from a line of magical witches, surely the curse would’ve had an impact on their ancestry?
at times it felt like jack was rude for the sake of being the grumpy character, and while I do get it to an extent, it again felt very juvenile and hard for me to believe these characters are adults who run businesses in this small town. I mean, the sign on his business door?
I didn’t feel invested in the characters to care for them, which did have an effect on me reading it, because I just didn’t care.
it’s a shame, because I had really high hopes. I know a lot of people will enjoy this, and my opinion on it is 100% not a reflection on the book.
thank you union square & co. for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
a lot of things just didn’t make sense to me, and it felt like the characters behaved like teenagers instead of the adults they’re supposed to be.
the curse had so much potential but wasn’t fleshed out like I would’ve hoped. it also didn’t make sense in hindsight.
rosie’s grandmother was cursed by a man she rejected, meaning they can’t truly be in love with someone as the relationship is doomed from the start. if this is the case, how did rosie’s parents stay together long enough to have not one, but three children? as rosie and her sisters are from a line of magical witches, surely the curse would’ve had an impact on their ancestry?
at times it felt like jack was rude for the sake of being the grumpy character, and while I do get it to an extent, it again felt very juvenile and hard for me to believe these characters are adults who run businesses in this small town. I mean, the sign on his business door?
I didn’t feel invested in the characters to care for them, which did have an effect on me reading it, because I just didn’t care.
it’s a shame, because I had really high hopes. I know a lot of people will enjoy this, and my opinion on it is 100% not a reflection on the book.
thank you union square & co. for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
Did Not Finish
September 5, 2026DNF
I WISH IT DIDN’T HAVE TO COME TO THIS.
I really, really do.
Because I LOVE Morgan Elizabeth’s Revenge series. Like, genuinely love it. Which is why it pains me to say that her more recent releases have been… bust after bust for me. Lucky Girl Summer excluded because I haven’t read that one yet, but Holly Ridge series? Heartbreaker? Yeah. We have been STRUGGLING.
But I soldiered through those.
THIS ONE??? I admit defeat. I am waving every single white flag I can find. I surrender. Rosie won. She has successfully annoyed me into a DNF.
Because I absolutely CANNOT with this FMC.
Rosie is, naturally, soooo loved and adored by everyone in town. Everyone thinks she’s wonderful. Everyone likes her. Everyone except Jack.
And she simply cannot comprehend this.
Because EVERYONE LIKES HER!!! So why doesn’t HE??? 🥺
Girl, perhaps because you have been systematically DESTROYING THIS MAN’S STORE FOR THREE FUCKING YEARS???
Jack doesn’t dislike her for some silly little grumpy/sunshine reason. She broke his store window during a snowball fight. She has apparently ruined things inside his shop MULTIPLE TIMES because she’s just soooo clumsy and quirky 🤪 and then smiles and laughs about it like she didn’t just destroy something he spent hours—or MONTHS—working on.
And somehow HE’S the asshole when he throws her out???
BE SO FUCKING SERIOUS.
She claims she’s been trying to befriend him for THREE YEARS because she desperately wants him to like her, yet apparently doesn’t remember that basically every time she enters his store she destroys something???
The first proper scene between them genuinely had me questioning my sanity.
She walks into his store. He specifically tells her not to touch the stack of cards he’s constructing. What does she do?
KNOCKS THEM OVER.
And then LAUGHS about the fact that both she and her sister have now destroyed his work.
Cute!!!
Then, almost immediately afterward, we are informed that her ass is apparently just too “juicy” because her sister owns a bakery—and said ass knocks over an intricate cardboard display Jack made.
They try to catch it. She falls into his arms because of course she does.
AND THEN HER FUCKING CAT CROSSES THE STREET, ENTERS THE STORE, MAKES A BEELINE FOR THE DISPLAY AND KNOCKS IT OVER BECAUSE APPARENTLY THE CAT HEARD JACK YELLING AT HER AND IS PROTECTIVE OF HER???
I’m sorry.
WHAT.
The cardboard display that Jack spent FOUR MONTHS making ends up DECAPITATED in this ordeal, and Rosie’s reaction to watching this man’s four months of work get destroyed???
SHE LAUGHS.
AGAIN.
At that point I was ready to climb into the book and personally issue her a restraining order from every small business in town.
Being clumsy is one thing. Accidentally breaking something is one thing. But repeatedly destroying someone’s belongings/work, ignoring their boundaries, laughing about it, and then being genuinely offended that they DON’T LIKE YOU because “everyone else does” is not cute. It’s not quirky. It’s not adorable sunshine FMC behaviour.
It’s fucking obnoxious.
And Rosie came across as so self-centred, childish, and completely incapable of understanding why Jack might have a perfectly legitimate reason for not wanting her anywhere near him OR HIS POOR FUCKING STORE.
Also, destroying everything in your immediate vicinity because you’re a cute clumsy girl with a “juicy ass”—does not automatically make it charming.
I kept waiting for something to make me warm up to her, but instead every new interaction somehow made me dislike her MORE.
So, unfortunately, I’m tapping out.
I will absolutely still read Morgan Elizabeth’s other books because I KNOW she can write stories I adore—the Revenge series is proof of that—but Meet Cute Magic and I are simply not meant to be.
Rosie can have the entire town.
Jack can have my condolences.
And someone PLEASE get that man business insurance with the most comprehensive Rosie coverage available.
I WISH IT DIDN’T HAVE TO COME TO THIS.
I really, really do.
Because I LOVE Morgan Elizabeth’s Revenge series. Like, genuinely love it. Which is why it pains me to say that her more recent releases have been… bust after bust for me. Lucky Girl Summer excluded because I haven’t read that one yet, but Holly Ridge series? Heartbreaker? Yeah. We have been STRUGGLING.
But I soldiered through those.
THIS ONE??? I admit defeat. I am waving every single white flag I can find. I surrender. Rosie won. She has successfully annoyed me into a DNF.
Because I absolutely CANNOT with this FMC.
Rosie is, naturally, soooo loved and adored by everyone in town. Everyone thinks she’s wonderful. Everyone likes her. Everyone except Jack.
And she simply cannot comprehend this.
Because EVERYONE LIKES HER!!! So why doesn’t HE??? 🥺
Girl, perhaps because you have been systematically DESTROYING THIS MAN’S STORE FOR THREE FUCKING YEARS???
Jack doesn’t dislike her for some silly little grumpy/sunshine reason. She broke his store window during a snowball fight. She has apparently ruined things inside his shop MULTIPLE TIMES because she’s just soooo clumsy and quirky 🤪 and then smiles and laughs about it like she didn’t just destroy something he spent hours—or MONTHS—working on.
And somehow HE’S the asshole when he throws her out???
BE SO FUCKING SERIOUS.
She claims she’s been trying to befriend him for THREE YEARS because she desperately wants him to like her, yet apparently doesn’t remember that basically every time she enters his store she destroys something???
The first proper scene between them genuinely had me questioning my sanity.
She walks into his store. He specifically tells her not to touch the stack of cards he’s constructing. What does she do?
KNOCKS THEM OVER.
And then LAUGHS about the fact that both she and her sister have now destroyed his work.
Cute!!!
Then, almost immediately afterward, we are informed that her ass is apparently just too “juicy” because her sister owns a bakery—and said ass knocks over an intricate cardboard display Jack made.
They try to catch it. She falls into his arms because of course she does.
AND THEN HER FUCKING CAT CROSSES THE STREET, ENTERS THE STORE, MAKES A BEELINE FOR THE DISPLAY AND KNOCKS IT OVER BECAUSE APPARENTLY THE CAT HEARD JACK YELLING AT HER AND IS PROTECTIVE OF HER???
I’m sorry.
WHAT.
The cardboard display that Jack spent FOUR MONTHS making ends up DECAPITATED in this ordeal, and Rosie’s reaction to watching this man’s four months of work get destroyed???
SHE LAUGHS.
AGAIN.
At that point I was ready to climb into the book and personally issue her a restraining order from every small business in town.
Being clumsy is one thing. Accidentally breaking something is one thing. But repeatedly destroying someone’s belongings/work, ignoring their boundaries, laughing about it, and then being genuinely offended that they DON’T LIKE YOU because “everyone else does” is not cute. It’s not quirky. It’s not adorable sunshine FMC behaviour.
It’s fucking obnoxious.
And Rosie came across as so self-centred, childish, and completely incapable of understanding why Jack might have a perfectly legitimate reason for not wanting her anywhere near him OR HIS POOR FUCKING STORE.
Also, destroying everything in your immediate vicinity because you’re a cute clumsy girl with a “juicy ass”—does not automatically make it charming.
I kept waiting for something to make me warm up to her, but instead every new interaction somehow made me dislike her MORE.
So, unfortunately, I’m tapping out.
I will absolutely still read Morgan Elizabeth’s other books because I KNOW she can write stories I adore—the Revenge series is proof of that—but Meet Cute Magic and I are simply not meant to be.
Rosie can have the entire town.
Jack can have my condolences.
And someone PLEASE get that man business insurance with the most comprehensive Rosie coverage available.
June 16, 2026
the more I think about this book the more I love it so yes yes yes 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 five magical freakin’ stars!!!
and I just need to say… I have NEVER enjoyed magical realism… like EVER. but this 😍😍😍 is the exception 👏🏼🫶✨📖
out in september and ABSOLUTELY needed on your TBRs ❤️🔥
and I just need to say… I have NEVER enjoyed magical realism… like EVER. but this 😍😍😍 is the exception 👏🏼🫶✨📖
out in september and ABSOLUTELY needed on your TBRs ❤️🔥
June 30, 2026
cuteeee & cozy paranormal romance
sunshiney witch with love magic & the grumpy shop owner across the way
it’s been a cold & rainy few days here so I was in the mood for something autumnal
Things to know:
- light paranormal romance
- grumpy sunshine
- working together to break a curse
- a ghost of the silly variety
- forced proximity
- kiss bonds
very very cute 4.5 ⭐️
sunshiney witch with love magic & the grumpy shop owner across the way
it’s been a cold & rainy few days here so I was in the mood for something autumnal
Things to know:
- light paranormal romance
- grumpy sunshine
- working together to break a curse
- a ghost of the silly variety
- forced proximity
- kiss bonds
very very cute 4.5 ⭐️
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5⭐️
I saw this advertised as a mix of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls and honestly that is pretty spot on. With the whole small-town charm of GG but the magical realism of Practical Magic? This was very cute.
This is a quick and fun read, and I enjoyed the banter between Rosie and Jack. Going along with them on the quest to break Rosie's family curse was a wild ride
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I saw this advertised as a mix of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls and honestly that is pretty spot on. With the whole small-town charm of GG but the magical realism of Practical Magic? This was very cute.
This is a quick and fun read, and I enjoyed the banter between Rosie and Jack. Going along with them on the quest to break Rosie's family curse was a wild ride
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 31, 2026
This was such a cozy, witchy romance with just the right amount of spice. Definitely one to add to your fall TBR if you like that small town, cozy magic vibe.
Rosie was so easy to love and I had a lot of fun following her whole curse breaking mission. And the banter between her and Jack was so good. Honestly, the side characters were just as entertaining too.
Very much giving Gilmore Girls but make it witchy and a little spicy. Morgan Elizabeth can do no wrong in my eyes!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square for the advanced copy!
Rosie was so easy to love and I had a lot of fun following her whole curse breaking mission. And the banter between her and Jack was so good. Honestly, the side characters were just as entertaining too.
Very much giving Gilmore Girls but make it witchy and a little spicy. Morgan Elizabeth can do no wrong in my eyes!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square for the advanced copy!
September 20, 2026
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
🎧 AUDIO REVIEW
There is just something about a Morgan Elizabeth Book the speaks directly to my soul. And this one, it was everything I needed. It was cozy, it was swoony, and I loved every second of it.
Ans the audio. These were two new narrators to me and my goodness. They were absolutely perfect Lily Drake and Micheal Gallagher brought this book to life perfectly, and I enjoyed every single second of it.
Rosie and Jack were so good together. She said it best that every reader girl needs a gamer boyfriend, and watching them go from dislike to love (with the help of a meddling ghost) was adorable
Morgan’s books just make me happy, they have this charm to them that’s so hard to replicate, but that she nails every single time.
If you are looking for perfect fall cozy vibes, this book is what you need.
✨ Cozy Fall Romance
✨ She’s a Witch x He’s a Human
✨ Neighbors to lovers
✨ Dislike to Love
✨ Grumpy x Sunshine
✨ Forced Proximity
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
🎧 AUDIO REVIEW
There is just something about a Morgan Elizabeth Book the speaks directly to my soul. And this one, it was everything I needed. It was cozy, it was swoony, and I loved every second of it.
Ans the audio. These were two new narrators to me and my goodness. They were absolutely perfect Lily Drake and Micheal Gallagher brought this book to life perfectly, and I enjoyed every single second of it.
Rosie and Jack were so good together. She said it best that every reader girl needs a gamer boyfriend, and watching them go from dislike to love (with the help of a meddling ghost) was adorable
Morgan’s books just make me happy, they have this charm to them that’s so hard to replicate, but that she nails every single time.
If you are looking for perfect fall cozy vibes, this book is what you need.
✨ Cozy Fall Romance
✨ She’s a Witch x He’s a Human
✨ Neighbors to lovers
✨ Dislike to Love
✨ Grumpy x Sunshine
✨ Forced Proximity
September 8, 2026
Thanks to NerdFam the author and the publisher for my arc! The opinions are my own.
This was an absolute perfect fall read, it’s cozy, and enjoyable and fun. Really all the characters and the practical magic vibes. Perfect happy ending and an easy going cozy witchy time!
This was an absolute perfect fall read, it’s cozy, and enjoyable and fun. Really all the characters and the practical magic vibes. Perfect happy ending and an easy going cozy witchy time!
Read
July 6, 2026💫✨ Meet Cute Magic ✨💫
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
🧡What to Expect
• Cozy Witchy
• Enemies to Lovers
• Bookstore Setting
• Small Town Magic
• Family Curse
• Ghosts
_ _ __
📅 Pub Date: September 8, 2026
Thank you to Union Square & Co. and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
🧡What to Expect
• Cozy Witchy
• Enemies to Lovers
• Bookstore Setting
• Small Town Magic
• Family Curse
• Ghosts
_ _ __
📅 Pub Date: September 8, 2026
Thank you to Union Square & Co. and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
September 14, 2026
˙ ✩°˖🍂⋆｡˚꩜ Romance reader gf x gamer bf = PERFECTIONNN ˙ ✩°˖🍂⋆｡˚꩜
Meet Cute Magic is the most recent Morgan Elizabeth romance! I wanted to read it since it was first announced actually lol. It's the perfect fall romance read and I feel that many should give it a go if you love cozy fantasy/paranormal romances - this book features a bubbly/sunshine witch and a grumpy gamer hero (he's human). Like Morgan NEVER FAILS WHEN IT COMES TO GRUMPY X SUNSHINE.
It's definitely not my fave ME book tho. I wasn't sure about some things and resolutions in the end about the plot haha but that's okay! It's very much an enjoyable and FUNNN romance with characters you want to know more about especially the secondary ones, I'm quite intrigued by them all and this cute small town as well.
🍂 Small town romance
🍂 Neighbors to lovers
🍂 Witch x human
🍂 Grumpy x sunshine (he's also very annoyed by her at first lmao)
🍂 Time limit relationship
🍂 Eldest daughter fmc where she takes care of everyone but her and he just wants her to ask for things and he'll make it happen
Meet Cute Magic is the most recent Morgan Elizabeth romance! I wanted to read it since it was first announced actually lol. It's the perfect fall romance read and I feel that many should give it a go if you love cozy fantasy/paranormal romances - this book features a bubbly/sunshine witch and a grumpy gamer hero (he's human). Like Morgan NEVER FAILS WHEN IT COMES TO GRUMPY X SUNSHINE.
It's definitely not my fave ME book tho. I wasn't sure about some things and resolutions in the end about the plot haha but that's okay! It's very much an enjoyable and FUNNN romance with characters you want to know more about especially the secondary ones, I'm quite intrigued by them all and this cute small town as well.
🍂 Small town romance
🍂 Neighbors to lovers
🍂 Witch x human
🍂 Grumpy x sunshine (he's also very annoyed by her at first lmao)
🍂 Time limit relationship
🍂 Eldest daughter fmc where she takes care of everyone but her and he just wants her to ask for things and he'll make it happen
August 17, 2026
Rating: ★★★★★
ARC Review: Yes
I received an advance copy of this book from Union Square and Co in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: September 8, 2026
Standalone or Series: Book one in a series of interconnected standalones (Heartwood Hollow #1)
POV: First Person, Dual
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Vibe: Cozy
Pacing: Medium
Third-Act Breakup: Yes
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
Cliffhanger: No
Reread-worthy: YES!! Yearly fall re-read incoming!!
Tropes:
✵Witch x Human
✵Enemies to Lovers
✵Grumpy x Sunshine
✵Small Town
Synopsis: Years ago, a warlock cursed Rosie’s grandmother and all her bloodline to never find love. Today, destined to break the curse, Rosie summons the ghost of the warlock to beg him to remove the curse. But when the warlock turns out to be the grandfather of her grumpy neighbor, the two must team up to gather ingredients to break the curse. As they go along on their journey, they start to grow closer and the line between love and hate starts to grow smaller and smaller.
My Thoughts: First of all I am so excited that my favorite author is now traditionally published!!!! And of course, this was another banger from Morgan! I don’t read too many paranormals, but I will read everything Morgan reads. When I heard that this was a Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls inspired one, I knew I had to pick it up just in time for cozy szn. This one blew me away. It had all the usual witty banter and spicy fun that you’d expect from a Morgan book, but the added magical twist was so much fun!
Rosie was so funny right off the bat and she constantly had me cackling. Her cat Percy was so fun and I was obsessed with how he was meddling in her life without saying a single word. Rosie’s love for her sisters was so wholesome, and I love how she focused on how breaking the curse would help them as well. I am obsessed with Rosie’s magical powers too. As a bookseller, I wish I could help people fall in love with their soulmate just by recommending a book. And as a hopeless romantic, I’d love for someone to gift me a book that would make me fall in love. Maybe if Morgan hands me a book that would help? Time to test a theory.
I loved Jack from the very beginning. I am a sucker for the grumpy yet soft man that Morgan knows how to write perfectly. The reader x gamer combo is perfection, and his personality blended so well with Rosie’s. I loved the scenes where Rosie came in causing chaos and he just watched it happen over and over. How could he not be charmed by Rosie?
All in all, this was a spectacular read and one I will be thinking about for a long time.
Follow me on Instagram and TikTok for more!
ARC Review: Yes
I received an advance copy of this book from Union Square and Co in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: September 8, 2026
Standalone or Series: Book one in a series of interconnected standalones (Heartwood Hollow #1)
POV: First Person, Dual
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Vibe: Cozy
Pacing: Medium
Third-Act Breakup: Yes
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
Cliffhanger: No
Reread-worthy: YES!! Yearly fall re-read incoming!!
Tropes:
✵Witch x Human
✵Enemies to Lovers
✵Grumpy x Sunshine
✵Small Town
Synopsis: Years ago, a warlock cursed Rosie’s grandmother and all her bloodline to never find love. Today, destined to break the curse, Rosie summons the ghost of the warlock to beg him to remove the curse. But when the warlock turns out to be the grandfather of her grumpy neighbor, the two must team up to gather ingredients to break the curse. As they go along on their journey, they start to grow closer and the line between love and hate starts to grow smaller and smaller.
My Thoughts: First of all I am so excited that my favorite author is now traditionally published!!!! And of course, this was another banger from Morgan! I don’t read too many paranormals, but I will read everything Morgan reads. When I heard that this was a Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls inspired one, I knew I had to pick it up just in time for cozy szn. This one blew me away. It had all the usual witty banter and spicy fun that you’d expect from a Morgan book, but the added magical twist was so much fun!
Rosie was so funny right off the bat and she constantly had me cackling. Her cat Percy was so fun and I was obsessed with how he was meddling in her life without saying a single word. Rosie’s love for her sisters was so wholesome, and I love how she focused on how breaking the curse would help them as well. I am obsessed with Rosie’s magical powers too. As a bookseller, I wish I could help people fall in love with their soulmate just by recommending a book. And as a hopeless romantic, I’d love for someone to gift me a book that would make me fall in love. Maybe if Morgan hands me a book that would help? Time to test a theory.
I loved Jack from the very beginning. I am a sucker for the grumpy yet soft man that Morgan knows how to write perfectly. The reader x gamer combo is perfection, and his personality blended so well with Rosie’s. I loved the scenes where Rosie came in causing chaos and he just watched it happen over and over. How could he not be charmed by Rosie?
All in all, this was a spectacular read and one I will be thinking about for a long time.
Follow me on Instagram and TikTok for more!
August 5, 2026
4.5⭐️
What fun witchy fall read! I am always going to rush to read a Morgan Elizabeth book! She always brings the fun rom com vibes that feel like a 00s flash back with the perfect amount of spice!
This was all the Halloweentown, practical magic vibes with witchy sisters, curse breaking potions, and enemies to lovers vibes that have you laughing out loud! Jack is our nerdy gamer MMC who has a strong dislike for Rosie, the wild, carefree FMC who seems to always bring chaos. The banter between these two & watching their relationship change & grow just had me loving them!!
If you’re looking for a fall vibe book, full of banter, laughter, spice, and all the romance magic, this is the perfect one! An absolute must for your fall TBR!!
Thank you NetGalley & Union Square & co for this early arc copy!!
What fun witchy fall read! I am always going to rush to read a Morgan Elizabeth book! She always brings the fun rom com vibes that feel like a 00s flash back with the perfect amount of spice!
This was all the Halloweentown, practical magic vibes with witchy sisters, curse breaking potions, and enemies to lovers vibes that have you laughing out loud! Jack is our nerdy gamer MMC who has a strong dislike for Rosie, the wild, carefree FMC who seems to always bring chaos. The banter between these two & watching their relationship change & grow just had me loving them!!
If you’re looking for a fall vibe book, full of banter, laughter, spice, and all the romance magic, this is the perfect one! An absolute must for your fall TBR!!
Thank you NetGalley & Union Square & co for this early arc copy!!
August 14, 2026
4.75 🌟
thank you NetGalley and Morgan for this arc!
i really love it when a book does this for me, giving me a new couple that i really enjoy reading about <3
Rosie and Jack were the sweetest. i enjoyed discovering why they were enemies and how they were going to have their encounters.
it's my first time reading a book with magical elements and fantasy and i loved it! this one in particular, i felt that it was not heavy, but light and very cozy. the descriptions of how the small city was, the elements of magic were very beautiful to read.
i don't want to spoil so much, but i loved Jack very much.
WHAT. A. MAN. !!!! Automatically added to my list of book boyfriends <3 ⋆˙⟡
thank you NetGalley and Morgan for this arc!
i really love it when a book does this for me, giving me a new couple that i really enjoy reading about <3
Rosie and Jack were the sweetest. i enjoyed discovering why they were enemies and how they were going to have their encounters.
it's my first time reading a book with magical elements and fantasy and i loved it! this one in particular, i felt that it was not heavy, but light and very cozy. the descriptions of how the small city was, the elements of magic were very beautiful to read.
i don't want to spoil so much, but i loved Jack very much.
WHAT. A. MAN. !!!! Automatically added to my list of book boyfriends <3 ⋆˙⟡
September 13, 2026
Such a cute cozy book! I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Spicy 🌶
Spicy 🌶
September 17, 2026
Hey so this might be my new favorite witchy rom com😭😭
You know when you’re reading something and your chest literally aches from the characters bc you can feel what they are feeling??? That’s what this was.
It was so flirty and funny and HOTTTTT 🥵🥵 my gosh lol I was not prepared!
I am so obsessed with both of these characters. This was EXACTLY what I needed, and now I need the next one ASAP😭
You know when you’re reading something and your chest literally aches from the characters bc you can feel what they are feeling??? That’s what this was.
It was so flirty and funny and HOTTTTT 🥵🥵 my gosh lol I was not prepared!
I am so obsessed with both of these characters. This was EXACTLY what I needed, and now I need the next one ASAP😭
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I love the fall, it’s my absolute favorite month. There’s a certain chill in the air that feels like magic, and that’s exactly the sort of reads I long for during this time. Magical reads, full of whimsy, of comfort, and, of course, swoons. And Magic Meet Cute meets all that criteria! It’s such a feel good, cozy read, perfect for the fall! I loved every bit of it! 4.5
Rosie is a witch who runs a bookstore where her magic can help one find true love with just one perfectly matched book. Unfortunately, it’s true love Rosie yearns for but cannot have. Her family is cursed to constant heartbreak, and so Rosie summons the ghost of the warlock who cursed her family to strike a deal to help her break it and find her true love. Along the way Jack, her grumpy business neighbor (and grandson of said warlock), joins Rosie on her quest and you’ll absolutely guess what happens and it’s absolute magic watching the inevitable meet them. Like a true joy to watch two souls find love with one another. And some hijinks along the way too!
Swooons! I cannot express how much I adored watching Rosie and Jack fall in love. They are the epitome of sunshine and grump and that means initially there are some heads butting, but I loved that polar opposite personality match up. Especially for the way we see Jack soften towards Rosie, and perhaps realize he’s noticed her for far longer than he’s willing to admit. There’s nothing I love more than a secret yearner, but this book made me realize there’s something else I love. A confident, flirty man who turns into an awkward, fumbling mess in front of the girl he truly likes. And welp, that’s our boy Jack! So adorably awkward for our girl Rosie and I wouldn’t change a thing!
Then there’s Rosie, so longing for love but that’s not her only dream. She has dreams of grand gestures and of traveling, she’s truly a romantic at heart. But she’s also incredibly selfless, always placing her beloved sisters ahead of her. Placing everyone in front of her, truly. In a way, she’s held herself back, even when it comes to the curse. It’s not about fear, it’s about believing herself worth being a bit selfish, in placing herself first for once. And a lot of this journey is her letting go of what she believes she must do and learn to do what she wants. And along the way Jack becomes one of those wants. He becomes someone who pays attention to her, who shows up for her, and she yearns to do the same but that darn curse sees her hesitate. I loved how we watch her grow bold and selfish in the best way. In the way where she comes first.
This is the sweetest love story, I loved all the shenanigans Rosie and Jack got into. I loved the personal growth, the grand gestures, the hilarious Percy, the sly ghostly grandfather, and the feeling that dreams and hopes can indeed come true. Sometimes we just have to take the steps to catch them!
Thank you Union Square & Co. and NetGalley for this complimentary eARC, I leave this honest review voluntarily .
Rosie is a witch who runs a bookstore where her magic can help one find true love with just one perfectly matched book. Unfortunately, it’s true love Rosie yearns for but cannot have. Her family is cursed to constant heartbreak, and so Rosie summons the ghost of the warlock who cursed her family to strike a deal to help her break it and find her true love. Along the way Jack, her grumpy business neighbor (and grandson of said warlock), joins Rosie on her quest and you’ll absolutely guess what happens and it’s absolute magic watching the inevitable meet them. Like a true joy to watch two souls find love with one another. And some hijinks along the way too!
Swooons! I cannot express how much I adored watching Rosie and Jack fall in love. They are the epitome of sunshine and grump and that means initially there are some heads butting, but I loved that polar opposite personality match up. Especially for the way we see Jack soften towards Rosie, and perhaps realize he’s noticed her for far longer than he’s willing to admit. There’s nothing I love more than a secret yearner, but this book made me realize there’s something else I love. A confident, flirty man who turns into an awkward, fumbling mess in front of the girl he truly likes. And welp, that’s our boy Jack! So adorably awkward for our girl Rosie and I wouldn’t change a thing!
Then there’s Rosie, so longing for love but that’s not her only dream. She has dreams of grand gestures and of traveling, she’s truly a romantic at heart. But she’s also incredibly selfless, always placing her beloved sisters ahead of her. Placing everyone in front of her, truly. In a way, she’s held herself back, even when it comes to the curse. It’s not about fear, it’s about believing herself worth being a bit selfish, in placing herself first for once. And a lot of this journey is her letting go of what she believes she must do and learn to do what she wants. And along the way Jack becomes one of those wants. He becomes someone who pays attention to her, who shows up for her, and she yearns to do the same but that darn curse sees her hesitate. I loved how we watch her grow bold and selfish in the best way. In the way where she comes first.
This is the sweetest love story, I loved all the shenanigans Rosie and Jack got into. I loved the personal growth, the grand gestures, the hilarious Percy, the sly ghostly grandfather, and the feeling that dreams and hopes can indeed come true. Sometimes we just have to take the steps to catch them!
Thank you Union Square & Co. and NetGalley for this complimentary eARC, I leave this honest review voluntarily .
September 10, 2026
Thank you Union Square Co. for the gifted eARC!
✦ 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ✦
This was the whimsical, charming, sexy, witchy read of my autumnal dreams.
Heartwood Hollow felt tangible and comforting, brought to life through colorful side characters and sensory rich descriptions. It truly felt like a small town at Halloween: sidewalks filled with crunchy leaves, the smell of fresh baked cinnamon rolls, and a warm, soft flannel.
Rosie and Jack are classic grumpy vs sunshine. Rosie is a dazzling, extroverted bookshop owner, while practical, analytical Jack owns the gaming shop next door. Their animosity blooms from animosity to allies to lovers as they team up to break Rosie’s family curse. I loved how naturally these characters fit together, and how effortless their dialogue was. Their chemistry was absolutely electric, filling each page with so much sharp, witty banter. By the time I reached the love confession, I was completely enraptured by these two.
Overall, I thought this was the perfect fall rom-com. If you're in the mood for a comforting, fun read that balances laugh-out-loud humor, genuine heart, and outstanding spice - this will absolutely charm you.
*** I also purchased the audiobook for a tandem read, and the audio is a true duet! It’s fantastic and I HIGHLY recommend!
𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙚:
Grumpy x Sunshine
Forced Proximity
Enemies to Allies to Lovers
Cozy Witchcraft
Personal Growth
Magical Bonds
Small Town
✄----------
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Paranormal
4 Stars
✄----------
Follow me on Instagram for more bookish content
✦ 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ✦
This was the whimsical, charming, sexy, witchy read of my autumnal dreams.
Heartwood Hollow felt tangible and comforting, brought to life through colorful side characters and sensory rich descriptions. It truly felt like a small town at Halloween: sidewalks filled with crunchy leaves, the smell of fresh baked cinnamon rolls, and a warm, soft flannel.
Rosie and Jack are classic grumpy vs sunshine. Rosie is a dazzling, extroverted bookshop owner, while practical, analytical Jack owns the gaming shop next door. Their animosity blooms from animosity to allies to lovers as they team up to break Rosie’s family curse. I loved how naturally these characters fit together, and how effortless their dialogue was. Their chemistry was absolutely electric, filling each page with so much sharp, witty banter. By the time I reached the love confession, I was completely enraptured by these two.
Overall, I thought this was the perfect fall rom-com. If you're in the mood for a comforting, fun read that balances laugh-out-loud humor, genuine heart, and outstanding spice - this will absolutely charm you.
*** I also purchased the audiobook for a tandem read, and the audio is a true duet! It’s fantastic and I HIGHLY recommend!
𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙚:
Grumpy x Sunshine
Forced Proximity
Enemies to Allies to Lovers
Cozy Witchcraft
Personal Growth
Magical Bonds
Small Town
✄----------
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Paranormal
4 Stars
✄----------
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August 30, 2026
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!!
this book was SO much fun. the perfect book for spooky season! i had the best time following rosie and jack go on a quest to break a family curse. their shenanigans and banter were just so cute and fun!! i really loved how the ending wrapped up everything together as well. i’m so lucky to have read this book early, and i will be recommending it to anyone and everyone who’s looking for a fall book recommendation!!
this book was SO much fun. the perfect book for spooky season! i had the best time following rosie and jack go on a quest to break a family curse. their shenanigans and banter were just so cute and fun!! i really loved how the ending wrapped up everything together as well. i’m so lucky to have read this book early, and i will be recommending it to anyone and everyone who’s looking for a fall book recommendation!!
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