Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: Standalone
Release Date: September 16, 2025
Andromeda “Annie” Wildwood adores being a witch and uses her power to make other people happy. She owns The Celestial Bakehouse, a bakeshop/café called the Celeste by her patrons, where she spreads happiness and calming to all, via magically infused treats. She is also very involved in Selcouth (her local coven) as well as a member of a secret group of witches known as the Sorciety. To put it simply, Annie is perfect or at least that is what the world thinks, thanks to a complicated bit of magic, and she wants to make everyone happy. But Annie’s perfect world is about to come crashing down when the sage witch of the Selcouth asks her to mentor Maeve, a troubled young witch just coming into her powers.
Thrown out of her comfort zone and into an abandoned, rundown cabin in the woods, Annie struggles to connect with Maeve. But with patience, understanding and a lot of mistakes, the two women begin to form a bond, and Annie helps Maeve learn to control her magic, while Maeve teaches her how to be her true self. They have just begun to get comfortable in their secluded home when they are thrown another curve – in the form of Hal Bancroft, the cabin’s owner, warlock, and Head of Selcouth’s Mythical Beasts Department. Hal allows the women to stay and even helps in Maeve’s lessons. The three quickly settle into a peaceful routine and it soon becomes obvious that Maeve’s powers are extraordinary, and Annie and Hal are not the only ones to notice. Annie will be swept up in a web of secrets, lies, betrayal and heartbreak, leaving her wondering who she is and where she belongs.
This book was nothing like I was expecting, and it is very different from the first book. This story has a bit of a darker feel, with a lot more emotion and personal growth. I definitely would not call this a Romantasy, it is more women’s fantasy fiction (if that was a real genre). The book centers around most people’s innate need to be accepted and the struggles we face to find a way to “fit in” without losing ourselves. The story is filled with true friends, fake friends, greed, glitter, lots of pink, baked goods, magic, self-reflection, healing, found family, and just a hint of budding romance. The story might not be what I was expecting, but it was a truly lovely, rich read that had me laughing and crying in equal measure and a book that I would happily recommend!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *
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