Hazel Beck does it again. I had so much fun reading Big Little Spells. It's Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls and the second book picks up right where the first left off. The plot is fast paced and the characters are still as fun as ever. I have a few gripes with just how much was packed in and wanted more plot/drawn out story line but this is a romance series and the author does what they need to do to fit into societal expectations ;).

Nicholas Frost is a fantastic hero...although, with the "age gap" that exists, please note that there is a high schooler/adult female and male friendship component in here that could be questionable to some readers and could be a trigger to others. Nothing happens but I think it's still an important call out.

All in all this one was so much fun and I can't wait to continue reading this series.

I had a hard time staying focused on this story. I had no inclination to pick it up and continue reading I am not sure if it was me or the story itself. So I feel unsure about an accurate rating. I hope to revisit and potentially re-review at a later time.

Big Little Spells is the 2nd book in the Witchlore series. I enjoy Small Town Big Magic, the first book in the series. This is Rebekah's story, the sister who was sent into exile. I found this book a bit harder to get into than I did the first. Rebekah seemed so resistant at first and kept hiding things. I understand her motivations but it was a bit frustrating at first.

Once things got moving and I understood Rebekah more the story flowed for me better. Coming to understand Nicholas Frost was enlightening in this story and his story with Rebekah was particularly charming. I felt like I got to know the other characters more and I look forward to knowing these characters more and seeing what happens with the upcoming "witch war." It's going to be something!!!

These books have been fun urban fantasies and I have loved the world-building of how these witches have been living in plain sight in this town. I enjoy the close bonds of the sisters and the friends in their circle. It's one of the reasons I enjoy these books is reading about the supportive relationships they all have. These are not comedic witch stories, although there are some humorous elements. There is mystery, dirty tricks (or should I say spells), romance, ghosts, and a lot of history. It's fun, engaging, fast-paced, and leaves you wanting more.

I really enjoyed this second book in this series. The first book focused on the older sister, Emerson Wilde and this book, Big Little Spells, follows the younger sister, Rebekah Wilde. This was a fun, magical story about coming into ones own power and living up to prophesies. I recommend both of these books and think the fall season is a great time to immerse yourself in the world of St. Cyprian.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I requested this book, I did not realize it was the second book in the series. I am going to go back and read the first book and then reread this book so that way I can truly enjoy it for what it is worth. Overall, though it was a really fun read!

Rebekah Wilde was stripped of her magic when she left St. Cyprian at eighteen. Ten years later, she’s back and facing the Joywood Coven, who rule over the magical world and had banished her in the first place. She's glad to be with her sister and friends again, but if they can't prove they're not a danger to witchkind, they'll be killed. The only one who knows how to stop the Joywood is the immortal Nicholas Frost, who deliberately set himself apart. It's anyone's guess now if he'll actually help.

Big Little Spells is the sequel to Small Town, Big Magic. It definitely helps to read that first, but the upshot is that Rebekah's sister was thought to be without magic, and had her memories taken from her. The magic exists, and her memories are back, and the Joywood was the group that had done it to preserve their laws and way of life, not in the best interest of the Wilde women. To exert their power, the Joywood intends to force the group to essentially retake the fundamentals of magical high school, complete with prom. It's incredibly belittling, embarrassing and haunts the group with all that was left undone when the original magical test failed.

Rebekah has her own journey to go through, as she's embarrassed by her loss of control as a teenager, and that her power as a Diviner is not clear. On top of that is grief over time lost, her insistence on staying isolated, and her growing romance. Old prophecies and power still exist, and it's all about interpretation. I really enjoyed seeing how it all played out in the second half, and how she didn't give up, even though she wanted to. There's more in store for the town and our coven of heroes.

Big Little Spells by Hazel Beck, book two in the Witchlore series, was an amazing story that I could not put down while really making me think; wondering if this could really happen. With its shocking plot twists, this enchanting romance also promotes themes about love and acceptance, feminism, rebellion, and standing up to political bullies; all of which couldn’t be more timely.

Rebekah Wilde is transported back to her hometown of St. Cyprian after 10 years of exile, to be put on trial before her coven. Only not everything is as it seems. It is up to her and her friends to preserve the balance of power in their realm, only it might just start a war. Rebekah is forced to deal with her past and magic she left behind. She realizes that no matter what, the people who truly matter in life will stand by you. Mistakes happen but it is how we move forward that determines our future. Realizing that her friends are in danger, she works with her formal tutor Nicholas Frost to figure out how to save them. A romance between Rebekah and Nicholas Frost does develop, but it is not the main theme. Their romance assists with them overcoming their traumas and mistakes; but it is secondary to to Rebekah’s growth and the continuing conflict with the tyrannical Joywood Coven. Romantic love is not the only kind of love we see in the book: family, sisterly love and friendship-based love are also present and important to Rebekah’s journey. Lastly, the story examines grief and loss but those whose time has come never truly leave us.

Hazel Beck wrote a story that shines with humor, romance, and gothic danger; presenting a cast of characters to cheer on, love and enough magic and suspense to keep the pages turning. I highly recommend Big Little Spells to other readers and wish I could conjure up the next story in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Thanks for the advanced copy - what a fun story! I enjoyed the first book in this series so hearing sister’s perspective gave it so much more depth. The story is lighthearted and fun, with just enough juice to keep the romcom going.

Rebekah is a bit more of a rebel than her sister, so her perspective seemed more fiery and unapologetic, which I’ll admit, I like in a heroine. She definitely has a chip on her back, but she’s also hiding a secret that she knows will be revealed. This secret is the catalyst to why she has remained absent for the last decade, and facing her own demons is harder than facing the Joywood. I’ll admit that Nicholas, because of his stoic demeanor isn’t the kind of hero I typically root for because he was so hard to understand. However, I liked the combustible chemistry these two characters had in every scene, and that kept me turning the pages, curious as to how their relationship would develop.

I love good vs. evil stories and that’s what this series brings to the table. The Joywood have a hidden agenda that Rebekah and her friends will slowly unveil. In this novel we get glimpses of the why’s and wherefore’s without revealing every bit of that story line, leaving the reader curious about what the next book will reveal. I liked this book enough to want to read the next novel and see where the story leads me.

This is the second installment in Hazel Beck’s Witchlore series. The first book Small Town Big Magic followed the story of Emerson, and this book Big Little Spells is told from the perspective of Rebekah her younger sister. There is a bigger over arching plot across the books and then each book has its own romantic pairing that is the focus and the vehicle for moving the plot along.

I love the setting of these books, a magical town St Louis adjacent that call St Cyprian. I am a sucker for a small witchy town, and there are lots of strong characters in this one! I really liked Rebekah and enjoyed her journey of overcoming her past to help create a better future for herself and her town/coven. I also enjoyed the continuation of the plot from the first book, but I did think more progress should have been made. Without spoiling the first book, this one left me with the same unanswered questions.

I also felt the found family was a little flat and I didn’t feel that strong bond that was alluded to between all the characters.

Overall I enjoyed this book and plan to continue the series! Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for the eARC.

BIG LITTLE SPELLS (Witchlore Book #2) by Hazel Beck is an entertaining mash-up of paranormal romance and rom-com in the witchy world of St. Cyprian, Missouri. This second book in the Witchlore series picks up immediately where the first book, Small Town, Big Magic left the reader. I do feel for the best understanding of this book and the Witchlore world, it is best to read these books in order.

Rebekah Wilde is banished on what should have been the night of her acceptance into adult witch society. Ten years later, she is forced to return by the coven that banished her and while she is happy to be reunited with her older sister and friends, there is a dark plot underway to eliminate them all permanently.

Nicholas Frost is a dark and dangerous immortal who secretly tutored Rebekah before she left and while she had a schoolgirl crush on him at the time, she finds he is even more captivating now as an adult. While he remains arrogant and aloof, he does help Rebekah and her friends once more, but there will be a high price to pay.

This is an enjoyable new witchy world with good vs. evil, romance, family, forgiveness, and a good balance of dire and serious scenes vs. fun and enjoyable scenes. Rebekah is a heroine who has a lot of emotional tripwires to face as she returns home. I feel her character arc is believably written because even though she was gone for ten years, she falls back into old behavioral patterns when she returns home. Her romance with Nicholas has two broken souls accepting each other and their pasts, but there are also strong threads of sisterly love and the love between friends and family woven throughout this story.

I have enjoyed both books in this series so far and I am looking forward to following this coven of friends as they continue to fight for their town.

Book Description:
Exiled for the past ten years, Rebekah Wilde has just recently returned to St. Cyprian, Missouri. It should be a happy occasion as she's finally reunited with her sister and friends. However, she wasn't EXACTLY in a hurry to return. Not only must she face her nemesis, the Joywood Coven, but she must also face her biggest fears. The Joywood are determined to eliminate Rebekah and her sister, Emerson, once and for all. To save her sister and her friends, Rebekah must seek help from an unlikely source, her teenage crush, the immortal Nicholas Frost.

My Thoughts:
I didn't find out until after I was done that this was book two in the Witchlore series. However, I didn't feel lost at all. Halfway through this book, I actually told my husband I thought this should be a series. 😅

The story flows so well, and I love the tension between Rebekah and Nicholas. I love how Rebekah seems so tough and in control, but she completely loses it when Nicholas is around. This is a story about redemption, about self worth, about forgiveness, about facing your biggest fears. With a little bit of magic, friendship, and romance, Big Little Spells is the perfect witchy read to get you in the mood for fall!

Read this if you like:
Magical realism
Witchy books
Books that center on sisterly bonds and friendship

Big Little Spells is the second in the Witchlore series and it's good follow up the first book. It follows Rebekah Wilde who briefly appears in the first book. Rebekah left her hometown when she was eighteen and she also lost all her magic. When she has to come home to deal with her coven, she is forced to deal with the past and magic she left behind. Rebekah soon realizes that her friends are in danger and she must work with her formal tutor Nicholas Frost. Nicholas is rude and hard to read but she needs his help. I enjoyed Big Little Spells more than the first book. I found Rebekah to be a much easier character to like. I also enjoyed learning more about Nicholas. This is a fun, witchy series!

First, a warning. if you've not yet read Small Town, Big Magic (Witchlore Book 1), I strongly suggest reading it first, because there are so many references to some of the witchy things that happened in that novel in this second book in the series, much of what happens in Big Little Spells involves characters and situations that won't make a lot of sense to you without reading book #1 first.

In Big Little Spells, Rebekah Wilde is back in St. Cyprian after serving her 10 years in exile, and she's not all that happy about being tugged back. As a fan of this series, of all the witches in St. Cyprian, she's my snarky favorite, and in this second book of Hazel Beck's Witchlore series, Rebekah has her witchy work cut out for her, because the ruling coven, the Joywood, aren't done humiliating and punishing her or her mind-wiped sister, Emerson, yet, and I was so eager to see those nasty witches in the ruling coven receive their comeuppance. But will they?

Rebekah has a lot to learn before even attempting to gain their approval by passing a series of tests she failed to pass a decade earlier, and she wears her irritation like armor. I was thrilled to see that she'll be learning way more than she expected from an unlikely teacher, and the focus of her first and only 14-year-old crush, the sexy and immortal witch, Nicholas Frost--and yes, things get pretty steamy between these two compelling and unforgettable characters. But will they succeed all the tests they're going to be forced to endure? Since I don't do spoilers, I'm not telling, so I strongly suggest that you find your favorite, comfy reading spot and dig in, because this novel was virtually inpossible to put down, and it gets 5 big stars from this reader, who can't wait for a chance to read book #3.

I voluntarily read an advance reading copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed Small town, big magic, but I think this second book in the Witchlore series is even better!! Picking up where the first book left off, we get to know more about Emerson Wilde's younger sister, Rebekah who was cast out of their witchy society and the town of St. Cyprian after a terrible incident marked her as dangerous.

Having returned for the first time in years to help her sister, clairvoyant and natural born rebel, Rebekah has to come to terms with an old crush and the lure of getting her magic back. The catch, she is forced to work closely with her old tutor, the grumpy immortal Nicholas Frost.

Full of great chemistry, emotional depth, found family, romance and a great mystery/suspense plot that sees Rebekah and her sister uncovering dark secrets that have underpinned their town. This was also great on audio narrated by Natalie Duke and the perfect book to kick off Spooky Season!!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! I can't wait to see what happens in the next book as the Wilde sisters start their own Coven and battle against the corrupt Joywood witches.

A big thank you to Hazel Beck, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for an aARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Big Little Spells comes out August 29, 2023!

I pretty much fell in love with this stunning second novel in Hazel Beck's Witchlore series. Big Little Spells is the direct continuation of the storyline that was started in Small Town Big Magic, meaning that it is kind of important to read it first to truly understand the storyline. In this one we switch POV to Emerson's sister, Rebekah. A woman who is messy and has been struggling for ten years about what she did to cause her exile. A huge part of this book was about her learning to accept not only herself but also her magic, and also about forgiving herself for her past actions. I absolutely adored her and Nicholas' relationship, even though I wish that these books were in dual POV. I also continue to love the found family feeling the "coven" creates and am very excited to see their stories. If you are looking for a action packed, witchy, romantic novel the Witchlore series is for you.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish, much more than I was expecting! I really enjoyed the first book and Emerson's faith in herself and overall Warrior-ness, so I was a little skeptical about the POV switch to Rebekah. However, I ended up loving Rebekah just as much, if not more, than Emerson. She's so messy and imperfect and I adore her. It was truly a pleasure to read about her finding some catharsis and learning to forgive and value herself. Some of the side characters still fall flat for me- I tried so hard, but I just do not care about Zander or Ellowyn, and I definitely don't care about their relationship. I like the concept of them, and I loove the found family vibes the seven of them give off, but individually? I just can't find it in myself to care or connect with them. I do really love Rebekah and Nicholas' relationship though. It's a cliche and predictable but I eat up the immortal falling in love with a mortal trope every single time.

I think a really wonderful message this book gets across quite nicely is that making mistakes and hurting people isn't the end of a relationship, platonic or romantic. Some of the most meaningful scenes in this book were when Rebekah was owning up to her mistakes and realizing that while the people she loved and who loved her were angry, they never stopped loving her. In particular, there's a scene where she's talking to someone she hadn't seen since being exiled but who she loved and respected very deeply, that made me cry. I think Hazel Beck is really really good at nailing relationship dynamics, particularly within a family, and all the complexities that come with loving someone in all circumstances.

I just discovered this excellent author duo of Hazel Beck, and they write together so well! I’d seen the first book in the Witchlore series (Small Town Big Magic) promoted all over the place, but didn’t read it until I had this second book in my hands. I’m glad I waited to be able to read them together - so I didn’t forget any of the characters or details in between.

Small Town Big Magic and Big Little Spells are extremely linked together and it’s very important to read them in order. You will be extremely lost without the details from the first!

That said, I really enjoyed the first, but completely and totally loved this second book in the series! Book 1 is where Emerson Wilde has her witch heritage restored to her after some crazy incidents in her small town, with the help of her powerful friends and especially high school crush Jacob, and the town hermit and immortal Nicholas Frost, fighting against the world witch council. Book 2 is the return to town of banished younger sister Rebekah Wilde (of course, against her wishes), to continue the battle against the witch council, and her past friendship and assistance by that town immortal is discovered, as he helps them to study again to pass their next big (literal) test.

I don’t read a lot of paranormal romance but I have been reading some more, and this is definitely at the top of the list of best witch romances around! I definitely recommend this to paranormal fans and those looking for somewhere to start alike… but read the series in order! I’m just sad that now I have to wait a full year for the next one.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing (Graydon House), and this is my honest feedback.

4.5 stars

This book masterfully expands on the storyline, magic, and emotions of the first one, and I enjoyed it more because of that. All of the characters felt more fleshed out and relatable in this one, and I liked how high the stakes were, leaving me both rooting for Emerson and Rebekah and questioning what was coming next for the entire time. I also liked reading from Rebekah’s perspective more than from Emerson’s, her emotions felt so raw and relatable, and she grew a lot, overcoming a lot of personal struggles that I really understood. Nicholas Frost is a GREAT character. Who doesn’t love the sexy, snarky, immortal?? I was much more invested in his and Rebekah’s relationship than Emerson and Jakob’s as well. They seemed to have a much more intense, genuine, and passionate connection, which I really enjoyed watching unfold.

I really liked the world building in this book, and all that we learned about St. Cyprian’s history and about the history of magic. I think being in Rebekah’s head helped with that, since she has more background knowledge than we had in the first book with Emerson, and I can’t wait to learn more about how the magic unfolds! This book did leave me with a lot of questions, about the origin of Nicholas’ immortality, and his immortal coven, about the origins of the Joywood, and about how it’s all connected. But I know that this book is part of series, so I enjoyed the evolution of the Joywood as the villains, as well as watching the Emerson and Rebekah’s coven grow and learn, and I’m sooo excited to see what happens next!

Thanks to NetGalley and to Graydon House for the ARC

I had a lot of fun when I read Small Town, Big Magic as it was a fresh, funny and compelling story.
This story starts strong but I wasn't a fan of the high school part as it was a bit too long and quite YA-like.
Rebekah is a well plotted and well round character, flawed and sweet. I like her relationship with Nicholas and her family.
It's entertaining but some less part about high school would have made it an excellent novel.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine