Stay A Spell

by Tierra Stockham

He came searching for answers about his past.

He found a town—and a woman—that officially doesn't exist.

Detective Callum McKinley’s life has been defined by one cold case: his younger brother’s vanishing thirteen years ago. Taking a leave from his precinct under the guise of a quiet trip to a Colorado cabin, Callum ends up stranded in Amberhollow, a town sealed off from the world by a century-old magical Veil.

Callum needs to figure out if this hidden town holds the truth about his brother, but the perimeter is locked down, and now he’s stuck. His only hope is making a deal with the town’s most infuriatingly charming witch: a sharp-tongued, quick-witted beauty who pushes every single one of his carefully built boundaries.

She promised herself she’d keep her heart—and her magic—locked away.

Then a rugged, stubborn detective barged into her world.

Winifred “Freddie” Rowley lives by one rule: keep her emotions buried. Her wild Resonance magic reacts to her deepest feelings, and after a past mistake left a scar on one of the people she loves most, she’s determined to keep her power dormant. She has her routines, her best friend, and her talking black cat.

Then Callum walks in—broad-shouldered, grumpier than a winter frost, and completely irresistible.

Helping a handsome outsider break the town’s highest law is a terrible idea—especially when her dormant magic flares to life every time he stands too close.

As they team up to dig into the town's secrets, quiet moments in the mountain air spark into a simmering, undeniable flame. But escaping the Veil comes with a devastating price: passing back into the outside world means forgetting Amberhollow—and Freddie—entirely.

Now, Callum has to choose between the truth he’s spent a lifetime chasing, or holding onto the only woman he’ll never survive forgetting.

Genres: Romance, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Halloween

359 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 26, 2026

Reviews

[Harlee]

Want a book that is cozy, warm and atmospheric and is guaranteed to put you in a spooky mood while also having you laughing out loud? Introducing: Stay A Spell! 🧚✨🍁🍄

Welcome to Amberhollow - A town that exists somewhere between reality and a fairytale: guaranteed to give you HalloweenTown vibes with all the magic that is brewing there. I found this town and its characters so enchanting and inviting. It had peak 90s fall nostalgia that I long for and I honestly wish I could live there year round.

Freddie, FMC, really is THAT WITCH. She is a spitfire and unapologetically herself while also being slightly a menace (respectfully, lol). I never knew what was going to come out of her mouth next and she had me cracking up so much. Callum, MMC, was a sweet baby angel that I loved seeing yearn for her. I really like his journey with grief and I think the author handles this topic beautifully.
“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲, 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁.”

This is definitely a book I will be returning to every year when I want a fun seasonal read. I had a blast reading this book and I think you will too! Embrace your inner witch this autumn! 🕯️🧹🔮

Read if you like:
🔮Gilmore Girls x Halloweentown vibes
🕯️Cozy romantasy
🐈‍⬛Small town mystery
🌙Detective MMC & Witch FMC
🎃Only one bed (and broom)
🍂 (🌶️) in a haunted house

Thank you Tierra Stockham for the advanced reader copy of Stay A Spell. I am eternally grateful 🖤

[Caitlin F]

Thank you Tierra Stockham for the advanced reading copy of Stay a Spell!

First off, can we talk about the MOST relatable FMC?! Freddie’s inner monologue really validated some of my own inner thoughts lol. I loved her SO much. She was so unapologetically herself in every way, &just felt real. The pop culture references were also top tier. Like Freddie’s favorite movie is Coyote Ugly? Amazing. She listens to Stevie Nicks & Led Zeppelin? My kind of girl.

The town this book takes place in reminded me of what would happen if you took Halloweentown & the little town from Big Fish & put them together. That was where this book took place in my head, & I LOVED IT. It was whimsical, magical, a little quirky, & honestly just felt like the perfect place to get lost in for a while. (Seriously, I read this in one sitting)

There were funny moments, raw moments, magical cozy moments, & a couple HOT moments. Like… wow. Hello, Callum.

Call is a lovely MMC who surprised me on every page in the best kind of way. I loved watching his character unfold, & I also absolutely loved the side characters. Everyone felt like they had a purpose & a part in the story, which made the whole little world feel that much more alive.

Also, I am very much obsessed with Jett. That is all.

I genuinely couldn’t recommend this book more, especially this time of year. It is such a perfect fall read with just the right amount of magic, coziness, humor, &romance. If you’re looking for a cozy fall read this is the one!!

[Bekah]

Thank you Tierra for this gifted ARC. I absolutely adored this book. Dare I say this one was my favorite of hers yet? This gave me all the perfect fall vibes I love with a dash of nostalgia of shows I grew up watching during the fall (think Sabrina and Halloweentown)

Freddie was a spitfire and had me cackling at her antics. I loved her. She was sweet, spicy and had her flaws but wasn’t ever afraid of who she was.

Callum the man that you are! Scottish grump but also the sweetest man ever. I just loved him.

Freddie and Cal together was the best, their banter had me laughing out loud but also swooning.

If you are looking for a fantastic fall read with banter, Halloweentown vibes, small town mystery, cozy paranormal romance, witch/detective then look no further.

[Madison]

4.5 ⭐️

Dare I say this is the cosiest romantasy I’ve ever read 🔮✨

There’s something truly enchanting about Amberhollow. Tierra has created a world that feels like it exists somewhere between reality and a fairytale, filled with so much warmth, magic and wonderfully memorable characters.

But Freddie and Callum? They completely stole my heart. 🥹 These two have easily become some of my favourite characters, and watching their story unfold made it impossible not to fall completely in love with this book.

Freddie is the kind of FMC you can’t help but love. She’s completely unapologetically herself, chaotic, confident and wonderfully unpredictable.

Then we have Callum, a guarded detective who gives off that tough, closed-off exterior but has the sweetest, most protective side underneath. And the fact that he’s got a filthy mouth too? Yeah, I was definitely obsessed🔥

I really loved the contrast between these two and their dynamic throughout the story. Freddie brought all the chaos, while Callum was the perfect mix of grumpy, protective and secretly soft.

The banter between these two was everything. They had me laughing, smiling and kicking my feet more times than I can count.

But as much as I loved their playful side, my favourite part was watching them slowly let their walls down. Seeing them trust each other enough to share their struggles and show those more vulnerable parts of themselves made their connection feel so much more meaningful. It was honestly such a beautiful thing to watch. 🥹✨

We also had a variety of truly wonderful side characters, that just made this story so perfect. They brought so much life and magic to the story, and honestly, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Amberhollow.

The only thing I will say is the ending felt slightly rushed. Major events happen within the final 20 or so pages, and considering how important and emotional those moments were, I would have loved a little more time and depth to let everything unfold.

That being said, it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed this book. Amberhollow, Freddie and Callum have completely won me over, and I’m so glad I got to experience their story.

Thank you to Tierra for the ARC.

[bookswithrebekka]

𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒚 𝒂 𝑺𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒍 🔮
Welcome to 𝑨𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘!

We have a mystical atmosphere in a small town that officially doesn't exist, cozy 90s fall vibes and a lot of magical creatures.
I love how Tierra has woven the '90s vibes with the mystical, it all goes together so well. ✨

Our FMC, 𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝑹𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒚, aka Freddie is really THAT WITCH.
She´s a spitfire and chaos is her second name, but that is exactly why i love her so much and what makes her so relatable.
She listens to Bowie, Fleetwood Mac and Joan Jett, she has a record shop and a black cat named Jett who speaks! 🐈‍⬛
Her one liners? Phenomenal! Her straightforward, funny personality made me laugh so often!
She also promised herself to keep her magic locked away, bc her wild resonance magic reacts to her deepest feelings. 🪄

"𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕´𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒘𝒃𝒐𝒚. 𝑴𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝒊𝒔𝒏´ 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒔."

And there is Detective 𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒖𝒎 𝑴𝒄𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒍𝒆𝒚, a scottish grump with a MUSTACHE 😏 who is searching for his missing brother and accidentally ends up in Amberhollow.
He looks like a golden retriever but has a filthy mouth. Although he's rather reserved at first, he opens up more and more to Freddy as time goes on.

"𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏´𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒍𝒓𝒅 - 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆."

These two together? Such a perfect, funny, lovely and hot match! 🥵

In addition to its lighthearted tone, however, the book also explores more profound themes.
The story is about grief, opportunities & shows us what it means to be there for each other and to help each other.

Thank you Tierra for the ARC of 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒚 𝒂 𝑺𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒍. I am so happy and greatful! 🖤
𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 29𝘁𝗵!

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:
🔮 Small Town Mystery
🐈‍⬛ Gilmore Girls X Outlander X Halloweentown
🔮 Cozy and sweet Romatasy
🐈‍⬛ Witch X Detective
🔮 Only one Bed (and broom)!
🐈‍⬛ Autumn Vibes
🔮 mystical kreatures/pets

[Nicole]

Thank you Tierra Stockham for the arc of Stay A Spell! This book was so much fun!

Summary:
Callum McKinley stumbles upon the mysterious town of Amberhollow while on his way to Colorado. Thankfully, Winifred “Freddie” Rowley is on her way home that same night and rescues the stranded stranger who never should have found this small town. Freddie is a witch living among other witches, vampires, gargoyles, skeletons, and more in Amberhollow. The townspeople are in a panic as another witch has disappeared. Callum and Freddie must rely on each other to search for answers about the missing witches while also trying to get him home. Together, the two find themselves faced with difficult choices as they fight to save Amberhollow and get home.

Thoughts:
• This was my first-ever romantasy, and it did not disappoint. I loved how Tierra explained so many of the fantasy elements; it really helped me understand what was happening in Freddie’s world.
• The parts where Callum learns about Freddie’s world were laugh-out-loud funny!
• This book reminded me of the original 1998 Disney movie Halloweentown, but with romance and mystery!
• Chapter 10 had me laughing so loudly that I woke my children up! Just wait until you get there!
• Tierra writes the best dialogue and banter between her characters. There were times when I felt like I had a front-row seat to Freddie and Callum’s conversations. Their banter and dialogue made these characters lovable, and their chemistry was off the charts.
• I love, love, love how this book ended. It tied up so many of the questions I had throughout the story, and I finished the book with a smile on my face!
• This is the perfect book if you’re looking for fall and Halloween vibes with romance and fantasy.

[Brianna]

As someone who has never read a romantasy book in her life, I can tell you I was shook to my core by how much I ended up loving this one.

Tierra does such a good job of creating this mystical, magical atmosphere, starting with Amberhollow itself. Like, I genuinely felt like I was transported straight into Halloweentown, with all the cozy fall 90s vibes I could ask for 🎃🍂

On top of that, I loved the variety of characters, from Delphi to Stella, Jet, and Brightfang. But by far, it was Freddie and Callum who made me completely fall in love with this story. Freddie is unapologetically herself in all her chaotic glory, while Callum is a guarded detective with a secretly soft and protective side who also loves a bit of dirty talk 😉

Together, their banter had me both cackling and kicking my feet, but nothing will ever top how much I loved watching them open up to one another and become vulnerable about their struggles and tragedies. Between Freddie’s magic, Callum’s brother Rory, and the missing people in Amberhollow, I was itching to get to the end to see how it would all unfold—and it did not disappoint whatsoever.

That being said, while this is only the second book I’ve read from Tierra, it’s safe to say she has quickly become one of my favorites. I especially love her ability to write dialogue that feels like real conversations, create unique and lovable characters, and build worlds that feel so real you can’t help but get lost in them.

Thank you so much Tierra for giving me the chance to ARC read this gem of a story. I look forward to everything else you've got coming!

[AlwaysBookedBrooke]

I absolutely loved this book!!! If you are looking for those cozy witchy vibes then you need to pick this book up!! It had me literally laughing out loud from the very first sentence.

You have our FMC Freddie who is a witch that lives in the town of Amberhollow that is protected from the outside world by a veil. Then enter in our MMC Callum who is a detective that is supposed to be on a 2 week “vacation” in Colorado when he ends up stranded in Amberhollow and Freddie is the one to find him. They end up working together to try and find a way home for Callum and find out why some of the local people have gone missed from town. The chemistry and tension between these two is absolute top-notch!! And the banter between these two had me cracking up!!

Freddie is a feisty independent woman and I absolutely adored that about her. She is a take no sh** person who is unapologetically herself in every way.

And Callum is just absolutely swoon worthy and excepts Freddie for everything she is.

This book definitely gave me the Gilmore Girl x Halloweentown vibes!!! I think Tierra does such an amazing job mixing a fantasy world with the modern day world with all the pop culture references.

🔮 Gilmore Girls X Halloweentown
🧙Witch x Detective
🍂 Cozy Romantasy
🫆 Small Town Mystery
🛌 One Bed
👫 Reluctant Partners

[Danielle Slivinski]

Received this book as an ARC. But my review is going to be honest:

I knew immediately from seeing the cover & reading the summary of the book that I was going to love it. It did not disappoint. I am always down for anything magic, witchy, fall inspired, mixed with some romance. This book puts you in a Halloweentown/hocus pocus setting almost immediately.. mixed with real world experiences. I was giddy, kicking my feet and smiling through a majority of the book. The MFC is witty, with a smart mouth & will have you cackling at stuff she says. The MMC is a softy who goes along with all of her antics. The story is full of love, magic, grief, opportunity, & shows what sacrifice looks like. The slow burn of the spice was perfectly timed in every setting of the story. I loved mentally being in Amberhollow. I’m sad to part ways. It’s definitely a place I’ll re-visit each fall. 😉 The ending was beautiful. I adored everything about this book!!

[taliajeanb]

first off, thank you Tierra Stockham for gifting me an ARC for Stay a Spell!! <3
guysss, i think Amberhollow is my new favorite fall/halloween town. there’s magic, there’s witches, there’s talking cats. it’s everything you could ask for when reading a book this time of year. 🍂🐈‍⬛🔮
freddie is a witch native to amberhollow, a secret town protected by a magical veil from outsiders. she’s lived there her whole life with her family and friends, helping out at her aunts inn and working at the local record store. freddie also loves fleetwood mac and coyote ugly - like how could she get any better?! when callum mysteriously appears at the edge of her small town, everything changes. she’s forced to grow while falling for the newbie in town. and the chemistry??? let me tell you. 🔥🔥
the vibes were my favorite part to this book, but each character had their own things they had to work through. i love to see that. if you want that cozy, witchy, whimsical vibe - look no further. this is it!!

[Sarah Weber]

Thank you, thank you, thank you Tierra for the ARC.

Freddie and Callum. These two are swoony, chemistry and all the vibes.

I knew from the second this book was teased that I was going to LOVE Freddie and boy did I. I loved her as a whole, she was beautifully written, her whole vibe was great and her love story was perfection.

Freddie is a sweet and sassy character, Callum is smart and hilarious with his grumpy antics and these two are just a perfect match.

This is my first read from Tierra and I am going to have to go dive into all her other books because the writing was great, the plot fantastic and the vibes were everything any fall lover needs.

If you want a witchy, cozy, early 2000's vibe fall read, definitely put this one on your TBR, the story telling, the characters and romance is everything.

Small town
Grumpy X Sunshine
Romantasy
Witch X Detective

[Paige W]

4.5 stars!

First of all, thank you so much to Tierra for sending me the ARC copy of this book!

I had an AMAZING time with this book. The setting is absolutely perfect for the fall/spooky season and I already feel homesick for Amberhollow. Additionally, I had an amazing time following Freddie and Callum as they worked through their individual traumas and grew closer together. Their relationship felt so realistic, as did the other relationships throughout the story. I felt so deeply for each of the characters and I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up at the ending. Plus, Freddie and Callum had the perfect amount of sugar and spice in their relationship, making me really believe in their chemistry and their love. Finally, I'm not a huge fantasy person, but the magical elements were so fun and easy to follow, so I didn't feel too overwhelmed by it.

This is the perfect book for this time of year and I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone!

[Mikayla Knowles]

“Moths don’t lose their memories when they transform,” she murmurs. “Inside the cocoon, their whole bodies break down into a liquid goo, but somehow, they hold onto what they learned before. They survive being completely unmade and rebuild themselves around the parts that mattered. Everyone loves butterflies for how pretty they look, but a moth carries every hard thing it went through in the dark and flies anyway. I kind of love them for that.”

This was cozy fall romantasy perfection and I want to move to Amberhollow immediately 🎃 it felt like living in Halloweentown as an adult in the best way! It’s witchy, it’s whimsical, and I’ll be day dreaming about the cozy vibes for the foreseeable future.

This was my first book by this author and I’ll definitely read her books in the future!

[SiSi ❤️]

The cover is what originally got me because it is so gorgeous, I love it!
The blurb came after because it did sound interesting and I do love all things supernatural/paranormal.

It was a fun witchy read that had its laugh out loud moments with its small town charm, fun characters, a FMC and MMC that were both likeable and perfect for each other by the way.

There wasn't anything not to like besides I usually prefer my books spicier but the story was pretty cute and while there wasn't much spice, it was definitely spicy when it happened.

It did start out slow for me during the first 30% but then it picked up, I got so into it after that, time flew.

Everything was explained well and wrapped up nicely, given I did call some things about Callum's brother from the beginning. It had a cute ending with a HEA and I'm excited thinking about whose story might be next. 😁

[Ashley | A Pair of Readers]

Cute and spicy witchy romance to help you get into the festive fall spirit!

A witch terrified of her powerful magic and a sheriff looking to get away from it all solve a bit of mystery in the magical town of Amberhollow.

Callum and Freddie are out fun MCs along for the ride in this grumpy x sunshine read. Together, they manage to help each other work through their own insecurities and pasts — and of course, fall in love in the process.

Tierra delivers one of those books that will put you in the mood for fall with its cozy vibes, magical beings, and spicy romance. If you are looking for your next
Romance forward book that will have you read to throw on a sweater and sip apple cider, start here!

[Emily Arriola]

Stay A Spell was absolutely ✨enchanting✨

This is the perfect read to give you all of the warm & cozy fall vibes! Freddie is so ✨magical ✨ and I just loved getting to see Callum fall head over heels for her and her world!

The world building in this book made me feel like I was transported to Halloweentown and I can’t wait to read it again & go back! So if you want to feel like you are in a late 90s Halloween show/movie, then you need to read Stay A Spell ASAP!

Thank you to Tierra Stockham for this ARC! All opinions are my own!

[Jenna]

I love Tierra’s writing and this book was no exception. Stay a Spell was different than the other types of books of hers I’ve read- but in a good way. It was cozy, fall witchy themed with mystery. The romance almost felt like the side plot. It was a great slow burn though! The mvps of the book were Jett the talking black cat and Twyla the fairy for sure! Plenty of laugh out loud but also swoony moments. Unfortunately, the ending did feel rushed. Wanted it more fleshed out for the impact that it had. Still a perfect fall season read and would recommend!

[Courtney Ellzey]

Thank you to Tierra Stockham for the gifted e-ARC.

Bring on the fall vibes. Throw in 70s nostalgia, witchy magic, a little romantic slow burn and disappearances and you have Stay A Spell.

The characters were funny and unique. I love that you get to see more than just witches, there are a plethora of magical beings. The small town setting is perfect for the story.

If you're looking for a slow burn romantic suspense standalone that will throw you into the fall spirit, I recommend this for your reading pleasure.

[Savannah Wilson]

4.5/5 stars

my first tierra stockham read, but it surely won’t be my last! i absolutely adored stay a spell. freddie & callum were absolute perfection! this was the coziest, fall, witchy read. callum was such a grump at first, but i loved seeing his sweet side show up with freddie. they had absolutely amazing banter that made me want to keep reading way past my bedtime! freddie was extremely relatable and i loved her quirks. her favorite movie is also coyote ugly which is one of my comfort movies so i may be biased towards her lol. highly recommend checking this one out this fall!

[Brittany Johns]

This was a really cute read, perfect for the fall season coming up. Think Halloween Town with a little Practical Magic vibes. There are disappearances happening in the town that the detective MMC and the Witchy FMC are trying to unravel all while they try to deny the pull they have to each other. If you want a fun fall read I say go for it!

[Sierra | FictionalWanderluster]

If you want a book that is a spicy Halloweentown meets Gilmore Girls with a splash of Outlander, this one is for you! This is such a fun witchy book and the perfect one to start the fall season with! Full arc rtc

[Lyndsay]

RTC ✨

[Rylee Reed]

Loved this one! ❤️

[This Gal Reads]

Review to come!

Super enjoyable read!