Category: Contemporary

Books and Bewitchment by Isla Jewell

On By TracyIn Contemporary, First Person Narrative, New To Me Author, Paranormal / Fantasy, Romantasy, Standalone Title, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Books & Bewitchment (Arcadia Falls)Books & Bewitchment by Isla Jewell

Tracy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Series: Arcadia Falls

Release Date: February 3, 2026

Rhea Wolfe’s life takes an unexpected turn after she inherits a real estate trust from her distant grandmother. Faced with the choice of maintaining her ordinary routine or seizing the opportunity to pursue her dreams, Rhea is drawn into a world filled with romance, camaraderie, and a touch of enchantment. The town itself evokes a warm, nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of beloved small-town settings, and introduces a charming cast of characters—including a quirky cockatoo companion and a handyman love interest—who add layers of humor and heart to the story.

Despite its cozy premise and appealing magical elements, the book struggles with pacing and character development. Rhea’s personal growth feels stagnant, and the romance lacks depth and was plagued by repetitive misunderstandings and overly idealized character traits. The dialogue can come across as forced or awkward, detracting from the authenticity of the relationships. Secondary characters, particularly Rhea’s family and her grandmother, are sometimes written in a way that makes them difficult to connect with, and the magical aspects of the plot are not explored as fully as one might hope from a fantasy romance. Overall, this book offers a lighthearted escape perfect for readers seeking gentle, comforting stories with familiar tropes and cozy settings. While the first-person narrative is entertaining enough and features moments of genuine warmth and humor, it ultimately fell short for me. Those who enjoy small-town romances with whimsical touches may find it a pleasant read, but for me it was not what I was hoping for.

*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. *

The Baby Dragon Bookshop by A.T. Qureshi

On By TracyIn Contemporary, New To Me Author, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Romantasy, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Baby Dragon Bookshop (The Baby Dragon, #3)The Baby Dragon Bookshop by Aamna Qureshi

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Baby Dragon #3

Release Date: February 3, 2026

Emmaline “Emmy” Sterling the owner of Inferno, a dragon-roasted coffee company decides to expand her business, she approaches Anh, the matriarch of the Trang family and learns that she is not the only coffee business looking for investors. Her nemesis, Luke Hayward, the owner of Tempest, a chimera-roasted coffee company. Her trouble with Luke started seven years ago, when he dumped her sister Millie, after they hooked up. To avenge her sister, Emmy caught Luke’s attention and after one date and night of passion, she dumped him in retaliation. Since then, she has gone out of her way to avoid him and forget he exists. Now to get Anh to invest in her company she must compete with Luke to open a coffee shop in the Tales & Tails Bookshop, the best coffee shop design will open the coffee shop and Anh will invest in their business. Now she has to see Luke almost every day for the next six weeks, and on top of that, her family is demanding her attention and she can’t say no. She is feeling the pressure and despite everything, she finds herself liking Luke, which is completely unacceptable – right?

Luke has been pining for Emmy for seven long years, when they met he had no idea she was Millie’s sister and he knows that he acted like a jerk when he broke up with her, but he knew they had no future and didn’t want to lead her on, but when he met Emmy, he felt something he had never felt before and was sure she was “the one” only to be dumped by her the morning after their amazing night together. He understood her anger but was sure that she would realize that they had something special. He seriously underestimated Emmy’s loyalty to her family – even thought her sister has long since married a man she is madly in love with and has several children. When Anh first proposes that they merge companies, Luke is happy to agree, but clearly Emmy does not and instead he agrees to a competition to win the investment, something he desperately needs to keep his business afloat and to help his very ill mother. But that doesn’t mean he can try to win Emmy’s heart at the same time – right?

I loved the blurb for this book and couldn’t wait to dive into the story, even though I hadn’t read the previous books in the series. Sadly, I just had a hard time getting into this book because I didn’t really understand the world the author has built – I don’t know the purpose of the dragons, I don’t know why there seem to be different “factions” of mythical beasts, and honestly, I didn’t like Emmy for most of the book. Overall, the premise of the book was great, and maybe if I had read the previous books and understood the world that the author built, I might have enjoyed this book more than I did – by the end of the story, Emmy did redeem herself, but by then, I had pretty much lost interest. So, while this book was a miss for me, I am sure this book will appeal to fans of cozy fantasy stories and have read the previous books, be sure to check out this book.

*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. *