what I’m reading: books & bewitchment by isla jewell.

After losing her job and turning down her boyfriend’s proposal, Rhea Wolfe learns that the grandmother she never knew has died and left her an inheritance. That inheritance turns out to be a rundown video store in the small town of Arcadia Falls, as well as the revelation that Rhea herself has magic. She decides to stay, transform the video store into a bookstore, and try very hard not to fall for the grandson of her grandmother’s mortal enemy.

I really wanted to like this book. In theory, it checked all the boxes for me: small-town setting, magic, and a bookstore. Unfortunately, it never quite clicked. Something just felt off, and I think part of that came from how hard the book tried to make Rhea quirky and funny. The meet-cute with the love interest involves her knocking over his iced tea with her backpack, soaking both him and his tablet. Of course, he is instantly smitten. Moments like this felt more forced than charming.

The pacing was another issue for me. It took so long for anything meaningful to happen, and Rhea doesn’t even begin renovating the bookstore until well past the halfway point. I went into this expecting to see her running the shop, settling into her new life, and really engaging with that setting. Instead, the bookstore doesn’t actually open until the final chapter, which was disappointing.

There were also a lot of elements that felt like they were trying too hard to be whimsical. The video store sells boiled peanuts. A gang of wild turkeys roams the town. Rhea has a pet cockatoo. Individually, these could have been fun, but together they felt excessive. And for a story centered around magic, there was surprisingly very little magic on the page.

Overall, this was a charming and cute romance, but it ended up being just okay for me.