MY RATING:
Synopsis:
After a devastating heartbreak, a teen girl decides to spend her summer helping her eccentric great aunt manage her quaint Vermont inn–but this fixer-upper is hiding a magical secret–in this cozy and irresistable new fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop. Sixteen-year-old Calisa is desperate for a change of scenery after her lying ex ruins her perfect Brooklyn summer.
Read More:
When her parents suggest she head to rural Vermont to help her great-aunt run her cozy bed and breakfast for a few months, she jumps at the chance.
But when Calisa arrives at the B&B, she’s shocked to find a rundown inn with only a handful of guests. And to make matters worse, upon meeting with her great-aunt it quickly becomes clear that Calisa was not invited. Auntie Zee is determined to keep anyone from messing with her beloved inn…even if it is clear she needs the help.
To earn her keep, Calisa sets to work fixing up the inn, enlisting extra help from the groundskeeper’s (handsome) son. But the longer she stays, the more it becomes evident that there is something strange about the B&B—and its residents. Something almost…otherworldly.
The inn is keeping a magical secret—but to protect the place she’s come to love, Calisa must unravel the truth of it, and her aunt, before it’s too late.
- Pages: 372
- Genre: Cosy Fantasy/YA
- Publication date: March 31, 2026 by Delacorte
- Format: Paperback, Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
- Source: Owned
PURCHASE LINKS:
AMAZON
KOBO
REVIEW:
In all honesty, I enjoyed this book much more than I did The Spellshop. I knew very little about it, hence, I was very surprised when I realised that Calisa is 16 years old. To me, both she and Jack felt much older than that, which in a way was a positive for me.
I did like the idea of the inn and the magical guests, as well as the mystery behind Jack’s father. The moments when Calisa was working on the inn’s restoration were very cosy, and I enjoyed them a lot. The magic was interesting, and the descriptions were enchanting, while the writing was engrossing.
That said, what really didn’t work for me was the romance between the main characters. I did not see or feel any chemistry between them, the romance itself was not romancing… I got good friends vibes from both of them. I really wish we’d gotten more of the grumpy aunt and her story, more information about how everything came to be in the first place, and more of the guests.
I also had a huge issue with Calisa’s mums. Only one of them really contributed to the story, the other seemed to be there just for the sake of it. Frankly, neither of them acted like grown-ups, and the constant “Mom Kate” and “Mom Elise” became way too repetitive and irritating. Just use their names, or simply say “my mothers.” If you’ve read the book, you probably know exactly what I mean.
In conclusion, it was a cosy read, and I did enjoy it. I hope there will be another book set in this world. My rating is a solid 3 stars!
Lin's Perspective 
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