I loved diving back into this world where the magical wicche world sits quietly (most of the time!) beside the real world. It’s a very cosy kind of magic – very cottagecore with low stakes, aside from the moments of high tension battle towards the end.
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Uncharmed by Lucy Jane Wood publishes today!
We’re back in the same world as Rewitched, but this book could easily be read as a standalone novel – you don’t need any prior knowledge of the characters, although some from the previous book do crop up. Annie runs a bakery where a pinch (or more!) of magic is included with every slice of cake or cupcake, and she also dishes up her time and advice for anyone feeling less than 100%, all the while trying to rise to the top of The Sorciety, a hidden magical underworld for the rich and powerful. So when the Coven asks her to step up and take a rogue teenage witch under wing to help her control her magic, she really has no choice but to say yes. The two are sent to a secluded cottage where Annie begins to mentor her unusually sharp powers, until the owner of the cottage, a warlock wearing a Stetson, turns up wondering why they’ve taken over his home.
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I have to admit that I liked this book way more than Rewitched. I’m not sure if that’s because I read Rewitched as a physical copy and I’m far more used to reading on a Kindle nowadays, but where Rewitched dragged in the middle section and felt a lot more like a first novel, this one had much better pacing, no slump in the middle, and was just that bit more polished.
I also much preferred the romantic storyline in this one. Where I thought the romance in Rewitched was a bit stilted and contrived (it felt like it was added just so it could be sold under romance), in Uncharmed, the romance was far more realistic and had a lot more chemistry. I always love a grumpy sunshine romance, although I’d say it wasn’t all that grumpy! It’s a clean romance, so low spice levels.
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Uncharmed had a fun narrative on what being perfect really means – flipping it on its head with a dark twist, but with everything turning out right in the end. Look, if you’re looking at reviews of this book, I know you’re the type of person who’s probably wanting a happy ending, and you won’t be disappointed!
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The characters were so well fleshed out and fun: Annie, all perfectly pink and polished, but with dark secrets; Maeve, a typical teenage outcast, but for more magical reasons, who is so straight talking and brilliant; and Hal, who starts off grumpy at his unwelcome houseguests but turns out to be a ray of sunshine. It’s the cutest little found family, and you’re rooting for every character to overcome their problems. That’s one thing the author does very well: builds wonderful characters who you get to know inside out during her books.
It’s a gorgeous, cosy, cottagecore read that I would highly recommend. The cover might scream spring vibes, but it’s perfect for the autumn season!
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Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for a review copy of this book.
