Spellstruck by Martha Waters

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: September 29, 2026

Despite a well-known magical past in England, magic has now been outlawed and is strictly enforced by the government, making it harder for the magical families to conduct business. But Vesper Holloway is clever and has been running her family’s social club for years, and even with the current laws forbidding magic, they have found creative ways to enchant cocktails to add a bit of intrigue for her club members and their guests. She has high hopes that the laws will be repealed by Parliament, but when a few patrons begin to have strange reactions to some of the potions at not only her club, but other magical clubs, she worries that these incidents could hamper the efforts to overturn the laws and decides to get to the bottom of it herself. As luck would have it, her brother’s former friend and man that she completely humiliated herself with, Max Ashbridge is a Forbiddance and Licensing Enforcement Agent (aka F.L.E.As.) and is currently in her club, presumably to try and shut her down, but maybe he could be persuaded to help her figure out who is behind the magical mishaps. Hopefully, her unfortunate attraction to him will not interfere with them finding answers.

Max Ashbridge has a problem with magic and some deep-seated anger that has shaped him and led to his current position in the government. He is a little concerned when his boss, whose husband is a member of Parliament leading the ban on magic, assigns him to investigate the Holloway club and find evidence of magic use to have them shut down and set an example. He knows he was selected because of his former friendship with Freddie Holloway, but it just doesn’t sit well with him. He arrives at the club and is almost immediately confronted by Vesper, who is just as lovely and vibrant as he remembers. She is evading his questions with a young man across the room begins to float to the ceiling, clearly under the influence of a magical cocktail, but it soon becomes clear that the spell has gone very wrong. Vesper admits that this sort of thing is happening at other clubs and askes for his help in figuring out who is behind the mishaps. He agrees not to use the information against the clubs and gets his boss to agree that it was worth looking into, rather than shutting down Holloway’s. Now he just has to keep his inconvenient feelings for Vesper in check until the investigation is over.

This was an interesting story, it isn’t quite what I was expecting, but nonetheless, it was an enjoyable read. I think I was expecting more magic, but this ended up being very light on the magic and to be honest, I didn’t really understand the magic system, especially the family “Word”, and instead of “magic”, it just seemed like the only magic was some enchanted potions. And while this is an “alternate” England, Vesper’s character came across as more of a modern-day woman, rather than an unmarried young lady in 1920’s England. I did enjoy watching Vesper and Max fall in love and find peace in their own lives. The story has a decent mystery, second chances, a tiny bit of magic, emotional growth and healing, a couple of warm love scenes, and a satisfying ending with the promise of happily ever after. Overall, it was a quick, fun read with likable characters and a cozy mystery, that I would recommend to readers who enjoy a bit of romance, magic and mystery.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for a DRC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *