SPELL YA LATER

A young woman reclaims her family legacy as a witch and finds love along the way in Shae’s new novel, the first in the Pruitt Witches series.

Hazel Hollis is 25 years old and living under the thumb of her controlling mother in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Stuck without a proper job or a boyfriend, her life is stalling. An argument between her mother and grandmother over her mother’s refusal to allow Hazel or her younger sister, Laura, who’s 21, to use magic results in Hazel’s leaving home for the first time ever. She moves in above Grandma’s magic shop, The Cat’s Cradle, beginning a new job there and training for the first time to fully access her powers. When she begrudgingly joins Laura on a night out, Hazel crosses paths with handsome and kind Noah, and her world brightens as they begin dating. Shae crafts a cozy, fall-coded romance with a supernatural twist as her lead connects with her true self and her family history. Strong and traumatic female intergenerational dynamics are at play here as Shae connects her contemporary characters with fictional ancestors who were victims of the Salem Witch Trials. Additionally, the controlling nature of Hazel’s mother, frightened by what being a witch means for her daughters, is a significant plot point in Hazel’s initial isolation and a springboard for her journey of self-discovery: “I just don’t see how I’m supposed to connect with people when I don’t even have a connection with myself.” Noah is a swoon-worthy romantic hero, though at times, the love story accelerates at breakneck speed, leaving the reader little chance to catch up. However, the fact that the romance seems second to the central character’s growth as a young woman embracing her status as a witch means it’s well balanced, with an immersive universe poised for a sequel.

A magical, inventive coming-of-age for readers who like a side of romance.