Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood – cozy urban fantasy

Rewitched is a heartwarming, cozy urban fantasy with a rich magical world and engaging characters.

Synopsis

Belladonna Blackthorn hasn’t lost her magical spark . . . but she hasn’t seen it in a while, either.

Balancing work at her beloved Lunar Books with protecting it from her toxic boss, who’s running it into the ground, and all the while concealing her witchcraft from the non-wicches around her – Belle is burnt out. Perfecting the potential of her magic is the last thing on her mind.

But when her 30th birthday brings a summons from her coven, and a trial that tests her worthiness as a witch, Belle risks losing her magic forever. With the month of October to fix things, and signs that dark forces may be working against her, Belle will need all the help she can get – from the women in her life, from an unlikely mentor figure, and even an (infuriatingly handsome) watchman who’s sworn to protect her . . .

With found family, slow burn romance and an uplifting message about self-love, this is the cosy, autumnal read that you’ve been waiting for.

Review

Rewitched is a cozy, light fantasy with a charming autumn vibe, mild danger, and plenty of witchery. It follows Belle Blackthorn, born into a famous witch family, who lives in the non-witche world, working at Lunar Bookshop for a toxic boss.

When she is summoned for the Equiwitch trial to prove her magical worth, Belle fails due to neglecting her gifts. Given a second chance, she has one month till Halloween to pass the tests given by Grimoire under the mentorship of Artorius Day.

However, it’s not as simple as it seems. Artorius Day was accused of murdering his brother! As someone is blocking her magic and is sabotaging her work and there is also a life threat, Belle must navigate danger, uncover the truth about Artorius, and reclaim her powers.

From the cover, I expected Rewitched to be a contemporary romance with a touch of magic, but it offers more witchery, trials, and a dash of mystery with mild peril. The writing is engaging and heartfelt, focusing on self-love, overcoming fear of failure, and finding happiness.

Set in the U.K., the Lunar Books shop is beautifully described, making it clear why Belle endures her toxic boss. The coven’s headquarters, how grimoire and Witche world works are also well depicted. There is a compelling cast of characters.

Belle is compassionate, snarky, and fun, but lacks the boldness and confidence her coven expects, struggling with low self-esteem. It was grating to see her having for failure that makes both herself and readers unhappy, but at the same time it makes reader relate to her and want to hug her.

Her love for her best friend, Ariadne, her mother and people in her life shows the strength of her character. It was amazing to witness her journey of realizing her worth, learning to be witch once again, and taking control of her own happiness.

Artorius Day plays a pivotal role in both Belle’s journey to be rewitched and the mystery surrounding her. Their growing friendship adds depth to the story. This old man is so lovely, caring, soft spoken and filled with encouragement that it’s clear he couldn’t be a murderer, despite the accusations. My heart went out to him and I wanted justice for him myself.

Belle and Artorius working on witch tests was best part of the story that also more insight on the Witche world and how it flourishes with belief and practice. relationships between Belle, her family, and her best friend Ariadne give the story a found-family vibe.

There’s a hint of romance between Belle and Rune, a 200 years old warlock assigned to her as a watchman by the coven. While the chemistry between them is crackling from the beginning, Their bickering was fun, there is one kissing scene but as we don’t see the romance flourish due to the mild peril of life threat take precedence. I would’ve loved more time with them and Rune’s story.

Climax is interesting. While I had inkling regarding the villain’s identity, I still was surprised by the level of cruelty and heartlessness the villain had. What I don’t understand is why the villain waited this long. Belle’s final actions are satisfying and I loved how Artorius not only finds justice but also friends and family.

Overall, Rewitched is a heartwarming, cozy urban fantasy with a rich magical world and engaging characters.

You might enjoy Rewitched if you like,

Cozy and light fantasy
Witch books
Romance isn’t the focus
Mild peril
Witch tests/witchcraft 
Mystery
Found family vibe

Book Links

Goodreads | Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

#Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood – heartwarming, cozy urban #fantasy . Many thanks @PRHGlobal for review copy. Check out full review –> Share on X

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What is your favorite witch book or urban fantasy?

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