Witchful Thinking

Elemental Love #1

by Celestine Martin

Love is the trickiest spell of all.
 
Lucinda Caraway loves living in Freya Grove, the mystic seaside town where charms, hexes, and magical beings of all kinds are the norm. She spends her days teaching high school history and her nights reading tea leaves and tending to her conjure garden. It’s a good life . . . but she can’t stop wishing for more.

Until one night, that wish turns into a spell, and suddenly Lucy can’t say no. Not to a public karaoke performance. Not to running a 10K. And, most alarmingly, not to her high school crush, Alexander Dwyer, who needs her help unjinxing his new house—which just happens to be right across the street from hers.

Alex has spent the last ten years traveling the world on adventures Lucy has only ever dreamed of, and he’s planning to leave again as soon as his house is safe to sell. But until Lucy can unhex herself, she and Alex are stuck together. And with so much magic in the air, maybe the next spell Lucy casts will be the one that convinces him to stay.
 

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Witches, Paranormal, Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook

333 pages, Paperback

First published September 27, 2022

About the author

A native of New Jersey, Celestine Martin writes whimsical and flirty paranormal romance that celebrates the beauty of everyday magic.

She spent her formative years buying as many romance novels in bulk from the local secondhand bookstore. She’s inspired to write happily ever afters and happy for now endings starring the people and places close to her heart.

When she’s not reading or writing, she enjoys organizing her massive sticker collection with her husband while spoiling their daughter in New York.

Reviews

[Ms. Woc Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Freya Grove is a small seaside NJ town occupied by magical creatures of all different backgrounds. Lucy is a witch from a long line of witches and she's also a teacher who has much love for her hometown. Alex is a merman who has been traveling the world but recently visited town to see his parents who gifted him a house he's desperate to get rid of.

Initially I was enjoying this book. I love small town romance and I lover merpeople. But by the middle this book lost me in the slow burn that also had excessive banter. It was like every convo turned sexual and as much as I love sexy talk I hate when a book teases you like that. By the time we got our actual sexy times in the book I was kind of over it. I just don't feel like Lucy and Alex had that great chemistry even though there were moments of them I really enjoyed. Also I switched to the audiobook and the female narrator spoke in her bedroom voice constantly which didn't help.

Next let's talk about the magic. It needed to be a lot more and I must say I'm not a fan of this trend of romances that call themselves paranormal romances but the magic is completely inconsequential and they read like regular contemporaries. At the very least magic needs a basic system so we understand the rules. We barely got that here and more often than not Lucy and her family barely used their magic. What's the point of having cool powers and being in a place where you can openly be yourself if you're not gonna do anything with them?

Alex is a merman but he only gets a tail during the full moon and the only reason we remember he's a merman is because we're reminded and because there's references to his scales fingers I'm assuming? I wasn't quite sure that part was hard for me to understand.

And then Ursula was the most unlikable person I've read about in awhile. Lucy needed to pop her in the mouth one good time. I'm assuming she's gonna have her own book in this series that redeems her.

I think people who love slow burn, small town with just a pinch of magic romances will eat up the cozy vibes of this one.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 reread- I think I loved this even more the second time around! It's wonderfully cozy with quirky small town characters and playful banter.

---------------------------------------

This was delightful and I want an entire series with these characters!

Witchful Thinking is the perfect cozy, small-town romance for fall, with just the right amount of magic and a little bit of spice. Featuring a witch heroine who always plays it safe and a merman hero who never stays in one place, it's a slow-burn, childhood friends to lovers story. Plus a side of a wish spells gone wrong and complicated female friendships. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to see more in this town, and get resolution with some of the side characters plots.

You should have this on your list of fall romances to read! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Amanda (Romance Reviewed) · Rating 2 out of 5]

(ARC Review) 2 stars

This was cute but unfortunately a little bland for me. It was a low stakes, low angst, low excitement small town story. Though it’s between a witch and a merman, there’s very little magic or witchy vibes to it.

The heroine wishes for excitement in her life which could have led to something fun, but instead she enters a cake walk and sings karaoke. Those things are fine I guess but not exactly what I would call exciting.

The plot was somehow very slow even though the book took place over the course of a summer.

I don’t know, I guess I was hoping this would be witchy and fun and mystical based on the blurb but that’s not what I got. It's a very quiet small town story that happens to have some magical people in it, but the book itself wasn't very magical at all.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I had DNF'd this.

It started off strong, but...I dunno. It just didn't hit its marks, and the sexy scenes were cringey. I also realized that fish-people romance and I are not meant to be.

[Zoë · Rating 3 out of 5]

if my parents bought ME a house ???? I’d literally live and die there no questions asked. IN THIS ECONOMY ???!

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: fake dating, forced proximity, and second chance romance.

This was such a fun fall read! It features a witch heroine, a merman hero, and a magical little town in New Jersey where all types of supernatural beings live.

Lucy Caraway is a powerful witch who’s increasingly unsatisfied with how routine her life has become. She wishes for excitement and gets it in the form of Alex Dwyer, a merman who returns to town a decade after breaking her heart. Alex doesn’t want to settle in one place and isn’t planning to stay in town until his parents surprise him with a house that just so happens to be directly across from Lucy’s. Lucy and Alex can’t seem to stay away from each other and they soon realize that saying goodbye to one other this time around may be impossible.

This book gave me all of the spooky vibes that I needed to kick off fall and I enjoyed every minute of it!

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

[nick (the infinite limits of love)]

Cute and whimsical. I could have done with a tad more magic, but overall this was a feel-good story.

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A witch and a merman fall in love in a cute little town? It was a lot more fun than I thought it would be, even if I'm not a huge fan of mermaids as love interests.

I listened to the audiobook and I'm planning on doing the same with the rest of the books in this series, but I wish this one had a slightly better female narrator because she could be so monotonous, it really took me some time to get used to her.

Also, for a town full of magical creatures, there wasn't a lot of magic going on...but despite that, I had a good time and I liked the romance. It's a second chance one, but they weren't actually together before, which works better for me when it comes to this trope. And the cozy fall vibes were on point, so I'm glad I picked this up when I did.

[Shelby (catching up on 2025 reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ---> 4 ⭐

Witchful Thinking
By Celestine Martin
352 Pages
Pub: Sept 27th, 2022

Paranormal Romance
Second-Chance Romance
Small-town Romance
BIPOC-authored
BIPOC MCs
Slow Burn Romance

Witchful Thinking is a cozy, magical, love story between a fun-loving witch (Lucy) and a nomadic merman (Alex). Set in the fictional town of Freya Grove - a small town on the Jersey Shore - this setting has magical Stars Hallow vibes. 🪄

Overall this was a light, fun read. It kind of reminded me of the romance version of a cozy mystery, if you can picture that. 👀 It would be great to read it in the days leading up to Halloween. 🎃 👻 The romance is VERY slow burn,🔥 and mildly spicy. I thought the mystical elements were interesting, but I wanted more. I didn't really understand the universe they were living in, and I think it could have benefited from more world-building and explanation to the reader. From other reviews I've read, it seems I wasn't the only one feeling in the dark on how exactly these magical beings were existing in New Jersey, out in the open. But perhaps I'm overanalyzing. 😅

I think this would be the perfect book for certain readers -- especially those who are able to suspend disbelief and just immerse themselves in the magical setting. 💕 For me -- I needed more.

The adorable cover and the clever title are my absolute FAVORITE! 🙌

⭐⭐⭐💫 • 3.5/5 stars

Thank you @readforeverpub for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Rating: 4/5
Audiobook Rating: 3/5

I thought that Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin was such a fun read. It's a romance, but it's also filled with witches, goblins, and mermen among other things, and is one of the more unique books I have read. If you want some Halloween elements while still being able to read a romance, this is a good one and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The setting is a magical place called Freya Grove, and I loved how Martin brought it to life along with her characters. The story alternates between Lucinda and Alex's viewpoints, while also being broken into months. The physical copy has a lot of nice touches and it made me feel happy just to look at it (totes buying a copy). And what can be better than a hexed house? I honestly would have taken even more descriptions of the local inhabitants as well as Alex's house for that matter.

Now we get into the audiobook which unfortunately was a tad disappointing. Lucinda is narrated by
Zara Eden while Alex is narrated by Cary Hite, and even though I loved having 2 narrators, Eden just did NOT do Lucinda justice. Sometimes she was good, but for the most part, her narration was very stilted, and it didn't sound like she actually knew how she should be reading her parts. A lot of inflection at times none were required, weird pauses, fast and slow talking, etc. I see that she doesn't have too many audiobooks under her belt, so she could be just starting out which honestly wouldn't surprise me. On the bright side, Hite did a great job as Alex, and I definitely preferred listening to him over Eden. I can't in good conscience recommend the audio for Witchful Thinking, so if you do this one, I would read it. And I am hoping Martin's future books will have someone else for the female viewpoint. This is a debut that is funny as well as full of family drama and a dash of steam. I am really hoping for a series now!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Julie - One Book More · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witchful Thinking is a second-chance contemporary romance by Celestine Martin and a fun read to end the summer. The story takes place in Freya’s Grove, a typical small town with a paranormal twist. Quaint with a strong sense of community, it’s a town where supernatural beings like witches, gnomes, and mermen are commonplace. I like that magic and supernatural beings are out in the open and just living their lives. There’s no secrecy or power struggles, and it doesn’t define the characters. I did wish that some of the magical elements and world-building were more detailed. It felt like the story just skimmed the surface and didn’t really delve into the supernatural elements. But, I kind of think that was the point. It’s not about how the magic works or how the supernatural and humans coexist. It just is.

Lucy and Alex are both layered and interesting protagonists, and the story switches between their perspectives, so you really get to understand each of them. The pair were best friends in high school but lost touch when Alex left to travel the world. Ten years later, he has returned, and they bump into each other at the annual Founder’s Day Festival. Oh, and Lucy is a witch, and Alex is a merman. That is fabulous! I don’t often see a merman protagonist, and I was here for it!

Lucy has become bored with her life. With her high school reunion coming up, Lucy yearns for some excitement and something she can feel proud of when she sees her old peers. Though she hasn’t embraced her magic since her grandmother died, Lucy makes a spell for herself and her female relatives, and she quickly realizes that all of the exaggerations she wrote about her life for the reunion start to come true. It’s an interesting concept, as I think many people can relate to feeling that kind of stagnation in their lives.

Alex goes through his own internal struggles as he confronts his desire to travel and explore the world with his need to settle down. As an award-winning photographer, he has made quite a name for himself, but he finds himself wanting for other things in his life. His family is in Freya’s Grove, and when they gift him a home, he becomes even more conflicted. I think both characters learn a lot about themselves and what they want in life.

"Open your heart to the possibilities of love. There are countless reasons to walk away. Find the reasons to stay."

The second-chance romance between Lucy and Alex is lovely, though I do wish it was a bit more developed. They have a history, as they were friends in high school, and it’s pretty clear from the start that they still have feelings for each other. However, their goals are very different, and they struggle to communicate their feelings. The secondary characters were also a bit underdeveloped, but I have a feeling they’ll be more fleshed out in future books.

Overall, this was a quick and fun read with a slow-building romance and a charming setting. Some aspects of the story felt underdeveloped, but it was entertaining nonetheless. Thanks to Forever Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

Wanted more witchy vibes but overall an easy listen

[Bon · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded down. I was excited for a Black witchy romance but ultimately so disappointed.

- Well, you wouldn't know it from the cover art, or the back cover or synopsis, but this is a merman romance. I thought hmm, what an egregious marketing mistake to not highlight that; and then I realized that it hardly actually merits the mention because it is never used to great effect; no tail action, no mention besides a couple references to scales until we are past the 200-page mark, and never any special use of ~merman anatomy.
- The audiobook was horrendously produced. I regularly listen at double speed and never before has sentences melding into each other been a problem. I am not sure if it was the producer, an editor, the narrator, but she was monotoned and her sentences sounded like one long run-on sentence. A nightmare. [I later switched to the paperback, and the writing style is lots of short sentences, painfully messing up the flow for me, so now how it sounded makes slightly more sense but-]
- The water metaphors must be stopped! There were more "haha see what I did there" lines about water than there were moments describing Alex as a merman himself. Pleasure becomes waves rolling towards the shore, passion is waves crashing upon rocks, - [clears throat]
“I’ve known every ocean, lake, and river, but you’re deeper than any water I’ve leaped into—ever. It’s the waters within you that scare me.” “I won’t let you get swept away." Yeah. We get it.
- The driving force of the story is a Wishful enchantment Lucy tries, which leads to an inability to say no to things during the book. I don't think I need to explain why that might squick, even if it's not that kind of book. Love or compulsion spells don't do it for me.
- Some things I liked: the tea leaf-reading scene, mentions of an ancestral altar, scene with a cursory interaction with a nonbinary character, decent spicy scenes.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this from a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
Perfect for this time of year. A romance filled with loveable magical characters who discover that accepting yourself for who you are is the pathway to becoming your best self. Sweet with just a touch of steam that wasn't overly graphic.

[•Mrs Pizza• · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a perfectly fine little contemporary romance. What it wasn’t was very witchy.

For a story with a witch and a merman as main characters we got very little magic. And the magic we did get either felt convenient so we could have plot point happen and then was quickly pushed aside or could been completely removed and nothing would have been the least bit effected. This was a town full of magical nonsense! Where was the magical nonsense?!?

As far as the couple goes they weren’t standout all time favorites, just nice enough people with basic normal human issues. They had crushes on each other in high school that they never acted on. So now we get the second chance vibes. I didn’t love or hate them. Even the characters you weren’t supposed to like didn’t stir up many feelings for me.
I skimmed a lot. Hoping something exciting would happen. But all the obstacles this couple faced had very little to do with being magical. Even the “wish” talked about in the synopsis felt forgotten until, oh yeah she has a magic wish thing happening let’s blame her actions on that.
Yano what this felt like, the author wrote a perfectly fine little romance that was readable but a little dull then watched an episode of Charmed and said “ooooh I should make it witchy” and just crammed some magic in last minute.
This book was fine, and if you like a contemporary second chance romance I think you will enjoy it.
If you are looking for a witchy magical romance keep looking.

[dovesnook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very cozy book set in the magical town of Freya Grove where all the residents hold a little magic of their own (as witches, merpeople, and all other sorts of mystical beings). They’re not living hidden lives and I absolutely loved that magic was normalized in this world!

We follow Lucy, a witch/teacher who has a knack for interior design. She’s set to help an old childhood friend (and not-so-former crush) sell the only home in town that she’s ever wanted. He’s also a mer and even though none of the magic seems to have a set system in place and it’s all kind of inconsequential, it’s still cool seeing him turn into one!

The book is an easy, fun read. I’m not sure if I liked it so much because I read it in a day and everything was super fresh and quick, or if I liked it so much that I read it in a day. I hope that makes sense lol😅.

I love small town vibes and this really was mostly vibes!

[CYIReadBooks (Claire) · Rating 5 out of 5]

After another yearly alumni reunion announcement, high school history teacher Lucy Caraway has come to realize that her life is BORING. She isn’t married, hasn’t done much with her life and it has been that way for the last several years. So this year, Lucy was going to do something about it.

Together with her sisters and cousin, they divise a plan to each cast a wish spell. A spell that could alter the course of her life and possibly allow Lucy to find her soulmate. A soulmate that may have gotten away many years ago but has since returned to Freya Grove — a merman by the name of Alex Dwyer.

Witchful Thinking is a slightly steamy romance that follows the friends to lovers trope. But it is much more than a romance novel. There are elements of family connections as well a community ties.

Set in a small town, we have the opportunity to get to know Lucy, her sisters Sirena, and Callie as well as Alex and the rest of the family members. All of them are warm and inviting. A nice touch for a fall/holiday read.

Though I’m not quite a fan of hot/steamy romance novels, there’s bound to be a number of readers that will appreciate the hot romance aspect in this book.

Overall, a Witchful Thinking is a well thought out romance that blends family and love into a nice package. Witchful Thinking is sure to bring a contented smile to fans of the contemporary romance genre. Four and a half stars rounded up.

I received a digital ARC from Forever (GCP) through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Toya (thereadingchemist)]

DNF at 36%.

Knowing that the author drew inspiration from Charmed and Practical Magic, I was expecting a paranormal romance filled with magic and mayhem.

Freya Grove literally is filled to the brim with all sorts of supernatural creatures, and yet this story is just so unbelievably slow and the magic registers at a bare minimum.

Also, while I do think Lucy and Alex have potential as a couple, the slow burn is way too much for considering banter and angst are missing from these pages.

This story is a tamer version of Hallmark’s The Good Witch, and I just wanted more.

Thank you to Forever Books for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

[Ashley (wickedreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Witch x merman

[Alexa Esperanza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found out about this book through a post on Twitter of the Author’s husband promoting it on a T Shirt. I thought I that was so sweet :’-) And I was so excited to receive an ARC to review!

This story was really cute. I loved the little fantasy world of Freya Grove and all it’s interesting characters! I really like the idea of a world where humans and supernatural creatures are living side by side in community with one another and magic is just a normal part of life. I wish there was little more magic tho, especially since the main characters are African American, it would’ve been cool to see some more hoodoo inspired magic but overall an enjoyable read!

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Witchful thinking is about Freya who lives in a small town with others who have magical powers. Freya's family are witches and she meets a merman name Alex who was given a house by his parents that he doesn't actually want.

I struggled with this book because of the slow burn as well as the banter. The chemistry was lost and I wanted more magical. I love a good paranormal and this didn't give me much of it.

Overall it was a good debut

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to give my honest opinion.

[Bree Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be careful what you wish for, for real!
This was a delightful read and the way Celestine Martin wraps up this book has me equal parts satisfied and needing answers-so I’m excited to see where things go from here.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

:(

[2.5 stars]

[Beary Into Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 3.5

This book was a fast read that was perfect for the month of October. I wanted something lighthearted and that’s exactly what I got. I loved the main character and the relationship she had with her family. Overall, this was a cute second chance romance that I would definitely recommend. Even though I really enjoyed this one I don’t have much thoughts on it and that's not a bad thing! It was a book I enjoyed but didn’t move me or make me think deeper but it did make me smile a couple times. I will definitely read more from this author in the future.

Also, I really love the title and cover of this one! I love when authors get creative with their titles.


Thank you so much @FOREVER for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[LadyAReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy punny corny and Zaney characters you will love this book. A witch who is finding out her life has been on hold reconnects with a former high school crush of a merman who can’t stay in one place long enough to be anchored. The town is full of magical folk and the smut scenes are spicy without be extremely detailed. I really enjoyed this story.

[Jodie (That Happy Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this isn’t my usual type of romance read, Witchful Thinking was such a fun read! It’s set in the mystic seaside town of Freya Grove where seeing witches and mermen is not unusual. As we head into the autumn, I think it’s a wonderful world to visit.

Lucinda is a witch who just happens to also teach high school. She lives with her sisters in the home that she has inherited – complete with all the recipes for spells. She also feels like she’s in a rut – nothing exciting ever happens to her. Her sisters are also wishing for things to change in their lives, and her cousin Ursula wishes for her upcoming wedding to be a wonderful event. They decide to perform the wishing spell that should allow them to have their wishes fulfilled.

Alex is Lucinda’s high-school crush who has been travelling the world for the past decade. He’s recently returned to Freya Grove upon the request of his parents who have purchased him a dilapidated, haunted house for his birthday. This gift is not what Alex wants as all he sees is responsibility. After the summer he wants to return to a life of swimming around the world. What he doesn’t count on is falling in love with Lucinda who helps him to decorate the home.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The characters are well-written and likeable and the setting was a fun place to visit. Given that Lucinda has two single sisters, I hope that this book might be the first in a series. I recommend this book to anyone that wants a little magic and fantasy in their romance books.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super charming, small town, dual POV, second chance, paranormal romance between a witch, Lucinda, and a merman, Alex. The first in her new Elemental Love series and the first book for me by this author too. I'm already excited to read more in this universe!

I loved the BIPOC characters, I loved all the magical, witchy vibes and it was so fun having a male mermaid main character! I also really loved the strong female friendships Lucinda has and that her wish is to find someone to love, while Alex is more of a wandering soul who needs to find that home is worth building with the one you love.

Recommended for fans of Belle Calhoune, Therese Beharrie or Kendra Mase. Much thanks to NetGalley and Forever for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I switched between physical and audio copies and really enjoyed the narration by Zara Eden and Cary Hite.

[Charlie Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So flipping ADORABLE!!! I want to live in Freya Grove, have tea with the Caraways, and swim with the Dwyers!

Full RTC when I stop squeeing like a happy teakettle!

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda cute paranormal romance but I didn’t like it enough to want to read the other books in the series.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

My spooky reads are fun witches only - nothing too creepy, Witchful Thinking, a cute contemporary romance, is exactly that. Set in a fictional New Jersey shore town, Lucy and Alex had a crush on each other in high school but separated when Alex left to travel the world. He’s back in town and living across the street. Can they make it work a second time?

What I liked: The second chance at love and life angle, as well as watching the characters grow. Lucy has all these hopes and dreams but doesn’t act on them until she and her sisters/cousin cast a wish. Alex is too scared to keep anything he cares about because he may lose it. The will they or won’t they change kept my interest.

The nods to the real Jersey Shore - love the Jenkinson’s reference.

What didn’t work for me: I wish there was a bit more world-building and explanation of what each magical creature can and can’t do. More magic would have been nice.

Ursula’s storyline felt a little incomplete but I could also see it setting up another book.

Who should read it: You watched Charmed and loved the friendship angle (no scary demons in this book).

While I think this could be popular for fall (witches), the story is set in the summer giving it more of a beach read feel.

Thank you forever and netgalley for the gifted copy.