Welcome, book friends!
To listen to my real-time reaction to these books, you can check out the full episodes on The Bookmarks ‘n Blankets Podcast on your favorite podcast platform or listen below.
I’d love to know your thoughts on any of these books if you’ve read them. I invite you to hop over to my Instagram or X (aka Twitter), where you can comment.
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It’s time for another round of real-time reactions to witchy books! My last episode didn’t quite deliver what I’d hoped for—I didn’t connect with or enjoy the books as much as I wanted to. So, I’m giving it a “take two” and hoping to see a different side of the genre this time. With a fresh lineup, I’m ready to dive in and see if these witchy reads can finally win me over. Listen now to see if these books are the ones that change my mind!
My Reaction to 4 Fantasy Witchy Books
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
GR Rating: 3.66
My GR Rating: 3 (3.5)
Format: Audiobook: Narrator – Heather Wilds
Genre: YA Fantasy
Read more on GoodReads
GR Description: The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.
If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.
And there are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.
But when an actual stranger-a boy who seems to fade like smoke-appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.
Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.
My Review:
I’m a big fan of this author and have enjoyed several of her other books, so I was excited to dive into her debut. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite meet my expectations. While her prose is beautiful, the story itself felt slow, with a lot of words but not much action. It leaned more toward historical mystery than a magical, witchy tale, and I found myself wanting more enchantment and fantastical elements.
The teenage romance was sweet but felt like insta-love—a trope that’s not my favorite. On the positive side, the spooky, gothic atmosphere gave it a dark, fairytale vibe, which I appreciated. Still, I was hoping for a bit more depth and magic overall.
If you’re new to this author, I’d recommend starting with her later works, which showcase her talent more fully. But if you’re a fan and curious to see where she began, this debut might still be worth a read—just don’t expect it to be the most magical of witchy books.
If you want to listen to all of my thoughts and get my real-time reactions to this book, listen to the episode above.
The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
GR Rating: 3.94
My GR Rating: 4
Format: Audiobook – Narrators: Eva Feiler, Lesley Harcourt, Jess Nesling, and Joshua Manning
Genre: Gothic Fantasy | Horror
Read more on GoodReads
GR Description: Two sisters go missing on a remote Scottish island. Twenty years later, one is found—but she’s still the same age as when she disappeared. The secrets of witches have reached across the centuries in this chilling Gothic thriller from the author of the acclaimed The Nesting.
When single mother Liv is commissioned to paint a mural in a 100-year-old lighthouse on a remote Scottish island, it’s an opportunity to start over with her three daughters–Luna, Sapphire, and Clover. When two of her daughters go missing, she’s frantic. She learns that the cave beneath the lighthouse was once a prison for women accused of witchcraft. The locals warn her about wildlings, supernatural beings who mimic human children, created by witches for revenge. Liv is told wildlings are dangerous and must be killed.
Twenty-two years later, Luna has been searching for her missing sisters and mother. When she receives a call about her youngest sister, Clover, she’s initially ecstatic. Clover is the sister she remembers—except she’s still seven years old, the age she was when she vanished. Luna is worried Clover is a wildling. Luna has few memories of her time on the island, but she’ll have to return to find the truth of what happened to her family. But she doesn’t realize just how much the truth will change her.
My Review:
This was my first time reading this author, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. She’s a truly underrated writer who deserves more attention! The story had me hooked, and the mystery kept me guessing until the very end with an unexpected twist that took me by surprise.
I listened to the audiobook, which featured a full cast of narrators, and they did a fantastic job. The variety of voices and accents really brought each character’s POV to life, which was helpful since there are quite a few characters to keep track of. While the story could feel a bit chaotic at times with all the details and perspectives, the narrators made it much easier to follow. I also enjoyed the short chapters and thought the pacing was strong—it started a bit slow but really picked up around the 30% mark.
The dual timelines were fun to piece together, as I tried to connect the past with the present. Although the story didn’t go quite as I’d expected, it was an entertaining read with a little bit of everything—family drama, romance, coming-of-age themes, mythology, and some fantastical touches. If you’re hoping for a read that’s heavy on witchy elements, this one leans more toward being about witches than involving active witchcraft. But as a fantasy-sci-fi blend, it was enjoyable, and I’m excited to read more from this author!
If you want to listen to all of my thoughts and get my real-time reactions to this book, listen to the episode above.
Wild Is the Witch by Rachel Griffin
GR Rating: 3.92
My GR Rating: 3
Format: Audible Audiobook – Narrator: Laura Knight Keating
Also available on Kindle Unlimited
Genre: YA Romantasy
Read more on GoodReads
GR Description: Iris Gray knows witches aren’t welcome in most towns. When she was forced to leave her last home, she left behind a father who was no longer willing to start over. And while the Witches’ Council was lenient in their punishment, Iris knows they’re keeping tabs on her. Now settled in Washington, Iris never lets anyone see who she really is; instead, she vents her frustrations by writing curses she never intends to cast. Otherwise, she spends her days at the wildlife refuge which would be the perfect job if not for Pike Alder, the witch-hating aspiring ornithologist who interns with them.
Iris concocts the perfect curse for Pike: one that will turn him into a witch. But just as she’s about to dispel it, a bird swoops down and steals the curse before flying away. If the bird dies, the curse will be unleashed―and the bird is a powerful amplifier, and unleashing the curse would turn not just Pike, but everyone in the region, into a witch.
New witches have no idea how to control their magic and the consequences would be dire. And the Witches’ Council does not look kindly on multiple offenses; if they found out, Iris could be stripped of her magic for good. Iris begs Pike to help her track the bird, and they set out on a trek through the Pacific Northwest looking for a single bird that could destroy everything.
My Review:
This story ended up feeling pretty mediocre, which was disappointing given its potential. The plot had opportunities to get truly engaging, but it just didn’t get there, often falling flat. It started off slow but picked up a bit when Iris and Pike set off on their search for the cursed owl. Even then, though, not much really happened, and I found myself bored for most of it—I even considered DNF’ing around the halfway mark. I pushed through, and while it redeemed itself a little by the end, I was mostly just ready for it to be over.
The two main characters felt immature and underdeveloped; I didn’t feel invested in them and was mostly reading just to see how it all turned out. The slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance also didn’t work for me—the chemistry between Iris and Pike felt forced and fell flat.
On the plus side, the Pacific Northwest setting was beautifully atmospheric, and the writing itself was immersive. There was a nice touch of magic, though I would have loved more action scenes to keep things moving. Ultimately, it had all the ingredients for a great story, but the execution just didn’t live up to its promise, leading to a predictable, formulaic ending.
Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this book. If the premise intrigues you, it might still be worth a try—you could enjoy it more than I did. But if you’re after a witchy read that leans into the magic, there are better options out there. I’ll continue exploring this author’s books to see if they grow on me and she is someone I want to continue reading, but for now, this one was just okay.
If you want to listen to all of my thoughts and get my real-time reactions to this book, listen to the episode above.
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Format: Physical book
Genre: Fantasy | Romance | Magical Realism
GR Rating: 3.73
Read more on GoodReads
GR Description: The Owens sisters confront the challenges of life and love in this bewitching novel from New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman.
For more than two hundred years, the Owens women have been blamed for everything that has gone wrong in their Massachusetts town. Gillian and Sally have endured that fate as well: as children, the sisters were forever outsiders, taunted, talked about, pointed at. Their elderly aunts almost seemed to encourage the whispers of witchery, with their musty house and their exotic concoctions and their crowd of black cats. But all Gillian and Sally wanted was to escape.
One will do so by marrying, the other by running away. But the bonds they share will bring them back—almost as if by magic…
Note: Unfortunately, I ran out of time and did not get to this book in this episode. I apologize if you were interested in my review of this novel. I hope to pick it up in the future.
Bewitching the Ghost by Gigi Blume
GR Rating: 4.24
My GR Rating: 5
Format: Kindle Unlimited Digital ebook
Genre: Fantasy | RomCom | Clean Romance
Spice: Rated G – None
Read more on GoodReads
GR Description: A reluctant witch and a cranky ghost walk into a bar. Literally. And now they’re stuck there together.
Willow Ravensong didn’t choose the witch life. The witch life chose her. While the ancient family magic has been doled out generously to her mother and two sisters, Willow can’t even cast a simple candlelight charm without burning the house down, making her the laughing stock of her home village.
All she wants to do is read her historical romance novels and forget about magic. So when the opportunity to relocate and open her very own bookshop falls into her lap, she can’t pack her bags fast enough, takes her cat, Zephyr, and moves to the quaint town of Mysthaven.
But nobody told her the bookshop was once an old saloon with a shady past.
And that it’s haunted.
And she certainly never imagined the first time she sees a ghost, he’d have broad shoulders, be dressed like a hipster, and have eyes like emeralds. Or, that his current afterlife situation is making him a grouchy pain in her broomstick.
Willow just wants to get rid of this surly spirit, no matter how easy on the eyes he is. But it seems the only way to do that is to use her powers to help him move on—as long as she doesn’t make an enormous magical mess of things, or worse… fall for him.
My Review:
This was my first time reading this author, and now I’m excited to explore and read more of her novels! I discovered this seasonal book on Kindle Unlimited while looking for clean, witchy reads, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I just loved it. It’s so charming, funny, magical, and fun! There is no language and no spice, just a few kissing scenes.
As a lighthearted, clean witchy rom-com, this book was perfect! It was exactly what I wanted for Spooky Season. With witches, ghosts, magic, charms, a swoon-worthy love story, cozy fall vibes, and small-town charm, it had everything I could ask for. The family dynamics and history added depth, and the plot kept me hooked the whole time. Just when I worried it might slow down in the middle, there was an unexpected twist that pulled me right back in. It’s well-written, with great pacing, and I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish.
While it had a bit of that cheesy, witchy Hallmark rom-com feel, the quirky one-liners and ’80s/’90s pop culture references were a blast. There were plenty of laugh-out-loud and swoony moments. I would have loved a bit more character development, but there was enough growth from beginning to end to feel satisfying. I also loved that it kept me guessing on what would happen next and where the story would go. I even found myself thinking about it when I wasn’t reading, which I know is a sign of a good story!
If you enjoy:
- Grumpy/Sunshine romances
- Witchy/Paranormal romances
- Clean, sweet romcoms
- Magic, charms, and enchantments
- 80s & 90s pop culture references & jokes
- Cozy small town vibes
- Fall feels and descriptions
Then I highly recommend picking this book up and trying it.
It’s the perfect read for autumn and Spooky Season! So grab a hot cider or pumpkin spice latte, cozy up with a fuzzy blanket, and dive into this witchy delight!
