First book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
It's well written, engrossing and entertaining.
I liked the characters and the setting.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Mainly by Moonlight is the sweet story of Cosmo Saville, an antiques dealer with a bit of a secret, and Police Commissioner John Galbraith. Meeting and quickly falling in love before the story begins, we meet the couple shortly before their wedding. As the big day approaches, things start to get weird, and increasingly dangerous. Cosmo finds himself suspected of murder and John begins to doubt what he knows of his groom to be. Cute, full of action and mystery and just a bit zany, Mainly by Moonlight is a enjoyable quick read

A San Francisco Police Comissioner with a Scottish surname? CHECK. Coupled with a young sexy creature considerably younger than him? CHECK. Murder, mystery and mayhem ensue as they get involved in solving crimes? Yup, another CHECK. Oh, and the young fiance practices The Craft (Witch, that is) occasionally and has a family of quirky crafty characters. I quickly got a "McMillan & Wife / Bewitched" vibe from this tale, and had to laugh when reading Josh's authors note: "I wanted to write something perhaps a little light and more romantic than I typically do - a cozy, sexy mystery with, er, witches - sort of like "Bewitched" meets "McMillan and Wife" meets Josh Lanyon."

Kudos to Lanyon for the seamless world-building that quickly draws us into the realm of witchcraft, with Cosmo Saville being the heir to the esteemed Abracadantes line. After a positively whirlwind romance (fueled by a love spell, unknown to Cosmo), Cosmo finds himself 2 days away from his wedding, embroiled in a magic-related murder mystery and desperately hoping that his fiance John will come to love him on his own. John is way too lightly-fleshed out here, and I'm hoping we get more in-depth character development in the next book in the series as we only get Cosmo's POV throughout. There is an odd-sort of chemistry between the two but we know so little of their background together that it is hard to become invested at this point in their romance.

The book needs another round of editing as there are many mangled sentences, and I must admit that the whole murder/mystery part of this book leaves me a bit ... uninterested, but there was enough of a spark with this unlikely romance, and tantalizing hints that John Galbraith's Scottish heritage may hold some surprises, that I am willing to read the next book in the series "I Buried a Witch," very appropriately releasing on Halloween, 2019. 3.5 stars.

Mainly by Moonlight was probably the weakest book from Lanyon that I have read so far. The characters were underdeveloped, the murder/mystery element lacked intrigue, and the writing and dialogue felt clunky. I will say though that this was a quick read, and I was a little drawn in towards the first half of the book, but it fell of afterwards. I’m not sure if I’ll be continuing on with the series, but hopefully the second book will provide more character development.

I had a very mixed reaction to this book. The writing was fun and engaging, and the world-building was interesting. I do wonder, though, how a society of witches all using magic in such excessive ways manages to stay under the radar.

I wish we had gotten a better understanding of where John was coming from. It was really hard to connect with him at all and I ended the book having no clear idea of who he is or what makes him so sure he's in love in Cosmo.







****Spoiler Alert****
Although Cosmo can be fun at times, I found his childishness to be a little grating. Overall, though, my biggest issue, the one thing I couldn't get over, was Cosmo's willingness to use magic to alter John's memories, not once but TWICE. Okay, I get that the fact that John resisted is a key to some bigger secret about him, but seriously, what kind of person thinks it's okay to do that? It's incredibly invasive and abusive and made it very hard for me to root for them being together. I felt a little skeeved the first time he did it, but after the second, I intensely disliked him. What kind of real, honest relationship is Cosmo ready to have if he thinks any time the "love of his life" doesn't agree with him, he'll just zap his mind into submission. Talk about creepy.

Having said that, I'm curious enough about John's role in all this that I'll probably read the next book. Cosmo is going to have to work REALLY hard to win me over, though. If his self-centeredness continues through book two, I don't think I'll be able to continue.

I really enjoy Josh Lanyon's writing style, so I went in with high hopes and was not disappointed. The insta-love part at the beginning felt weird to me, but it was supposed to and very well explained. I think I would have enjoyed a little more time with John dealing with the after-affects and coming to terms with things, but all in all an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next in the series.

I really liked this! Lanyon gave me the perfect blend of whirlwind romance and murder mystery in this first installment. There was a lot going on in a very short period of time, so the story held my attention and made this a quick read. I didn't want to stop reading until I found out what was going on. This is the first part of a continuing story, so the end of the book was really just a stopping point. I'm so glad the rest of this series will be releasing soon because I don't think I could wait too long.

Because this was told in Cosmo's POV, we didn't get to know John very well, so I can't wait to learn more about him. So far he seems very 'by the book' and a bit detached, but resigned to love Cosmo, so I can definitely see the $hit hitting the fan when he finds out the truth! Cosmo is a bit different, but likable, and he has a big heart. I'm looking forward to more character development as the series progresses.

I'm also looking forward to seeing how hard Cosmo and John land when they come back to earth after their whirlwind engagement and wedding! Things are bound to be rough, and I do love my angst in romance books!

I really enjoyed this very different book from favorite author Josh Lanyon. Set in a world where witches and magic are real, but mostly unknown to regular humans, Cosmo Saville is a refreshing character, partly because I can’t decide if I like him or not. Cosmo is not only a witch, but he also happens to be the heir to his particular coven, though he wants no part of that. In fact, he is distancing himself from all things witchy and magical because he suddenly find himself engaged to mere mortal John Galbraith, who just happens to be the Police Commissioner. Pretty convenient for Cosmo when he becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a local shop owner.

Things get very interesting when Cosmo discovers that his whirlwind romance with John is the result of a love spell. I struggled to decide if I liked Cosmo as he struggled to decide whether to break off his marriage knowing that John’s perceived love was the result of a spell and not in any way real. I thought it was horrible that Cosmo would even consider going through with it, knowing that his entire marriage would be based on lies and deception. What kind of person would do that to someone they claim to love? Did he think John wouldn't be hurt to know that his feelings weren't real? That he'd fallen for and married someone under completely false pretenses?

What I did love was watching the inevitable slide into distrust and skepticism as John slowly comes out from under the influence of the spell and begins to question his feelings for his fiancé as well as Cosmo’s questionable actions and outright lies. I thought the entire relationship would fall apart, but Lanyon was able to salvage it through Cosmo’s real love for John and John’s almost business-like approach to the benefits that will come from marrying Cosmo. I actually felt heartbroken for Cosmo when he thought John’s sole draw to him was the social niceties he could bring to John as a public figure.

The Witch and the Police Commissioner are two very different characters compared with Lanyon’s usual MCs. I look forward to seeing Cosmo and John in future books. I think they have a lot to learn about one another and many obstacles to hurdle if they want to have an HEA.

Mainly by Moonlight, the first in Lanyon’s new Bedknobs and Broomsticks series, falls right in the middle for me. I loved the idea of a witchcraft based mystery suspense and the pairing of a by-the-book police commissioner with an antiques dealer who is also a witch seemed like a great start. However, there were quite a few components that left me questioning things and others I wasn’t keen on. That said, the story was interesting and I found myself pretty invested in the outcome...I’m just not quite sure if it was enough to pull me back for a second book.

As with any paranormal/ fantasy based plot, world-building is essential, and while Mainly by Moonlight had some background provided by Cosmo, it was a little vague at crucial points and I often felt I was just along for the ride versus actively engaged with the story and characters. My bigger hang-up was the romance. While I’m not a huge fan of insta-love, I can work with it if the characters and story is set up to support a hard and fast love story. It felt just the opposite in Mainly by Moonlight. I couldn’t figure out Cosmo and John’s relationship, even after the love spell revelation. They simply didn’t make sense as a couple and there was never any pervasive chemistry or palpable connection that made me feel otherwise…that is until the very last few pages, which is precisely when I discovered maybe I could like John. John’s character as a whole was my other major struggle. Lanyon’s writing never ceases to surprise me, so perhaps it’s all in her plans but I really didn’t care for John. For the bulk of the book he came off as gruff, cold, and dismissive of Cosmo, with even his declarations of love and physical attraction leaving me wanting. That said, there were inklings that he could be better, especially toward the end, I just don’t know if it’s enough to turn the corner.

So what is it that kept me reader and maybe inclined to come back for more? The storyline and mystery is different and captured my attention from the outset. Lanyon’s mysteries are always full of good twists, which is what I live for and there’s plenty of red herrings to keep me guessing in Mainly by Moonlight. Additionally, I love the idea of Cosmo coming to terms with his magic and maybe embracing it. In the end Mainly by Moonlight was a mixed bag for me, with a lot of little niggles, some big questionable elements, and a good dose of things I enjoyed. I just can’t say that even with the mystery left unsolved and clearly much more to come for Cosmo and John, I am chomping at the bit for the second book.

This was a bit of a mess. It felt like being dropped into the middle of a series (I checked multiple times, this is book one). When we meet the main characters they're getting married after knowing each other for 2 weeks.... They know nothing about each other and Lanyon doesn't spend any time with them communicating. She also falls back into really disturbing domestic violence tropes that I had thought she'd outgrown (the bigger of the mains *rolls eyes at another stereotype I'd thought long gone* almost dislocates the other's shoulder). The mystery was clearly an after-thought as well. It was just all around not great.

Cosmo was one of those fun, quirky characters that you definitely wouldn't think of becoming the perfect match for a straight-laced Police Commissioner. Stranger things have happened though, especially in Cosmo's life.

The supporting characters were great - even when they weren't being, well... supportive. They definitely kept things interesting, that's for sure. The mystery wasn't transparent and aside from the murder(s) it was fun read.

There were more than a couple of twists and turns and there are a few clues in the description that allude to one of the biggest. Things sort themselves out though, for the most part and Cosmo and John seem to be well on their way to their HEA - for now.

I'm looking forward to continuing this series with I Buried a Witch, even though I'm not sure what it will mean for Cosmo and John. Since Cosmo's still keeping some pretty big secrets that John may not handle very well.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5

A gay high-society wedding. A stolen book of spells. A love-threatening lie. Can a witch avoid a murder rap without revealing the supernatural truth?

Cosmo Saville guiltily hides a paranormal secret from his soon-to-be husband. Thanks to a powerful love spell, uncertainty threatens his nuptial magic. But when he’s arrested for allegedly killing a longtime rival, he could spend his honeymoon behind bars…

Police Commissioner John Joseph Galbraith never believed in love until Cosmo came along. Falling head over heels for the elegant antiques dealer is an enchantment he never wants to break. So when all fingers point to Cosmo’s guilt, John races to prove his fiancé’s innocence before they take their vows.

As Cosmo hunts for the real killer among the arcane aristocracy, John warns him to leave it to the police. But with an unseen enemy threatening to expose Cosmo’s true nature, the couple’s blissful future could shatter like a broken charm.

Can Cosmo find the lost grimoire, clear his name, and keep John’s love alive, or will black magic “rune” their wedding bells?

Mainly by Moonlight is the first book in the sexy Bedknobs and Broomsticks romantic gay mystery series. If you like spellbinding suspense, steamy fun, and a dash of paranormal, then you’ll love Josh Lanyon’s charming tale.

It was with fond memories of the 1958 movie Bell, Book and Candle (Kim Novak, Jimmy Stewart) that I dived into Josh Lanyon's Mainly by Moonlight, the first in Lanyon's new Bedknobs and Broomsticks series.  With elements that reminded me of that story, I immediately knew this was going to be a wild and bumpy fun ride.  It starts with Cosmo Saville, an engaged antique store owner who is also a witch and heir to the local arcane aristocracy.  The last being a secret to  his fiance', the mortal Police Commissioner John Joseph Galbraith.  In fact, that there are witches, warlocks, or any type of arcanes at all is a secret to all mortals and it's intended that it stays that way.

Something that will be not only awkward but hard to do when John and Cosmo are married, even with Cosmo's desire to leave most of his magic behind.  And that's to happen shortly.

Until a murder takes place.  And everything points to Cosmo as the killer.

As the first story in the series, especially one with as many layers as this series looks to have, Lanyon has a lot to do.  That includes two worlds to build. The mundane and the arcane.  The one that John resides in plus the one that Cosmo was born into. Then there the grey middle area that Cosmo straddles trying to keep a foot in each world and not doing it very well.  As he lies to John about what and who he is.  The mundane world and it's cast with the police station and John's circle seems relatively easy a foundation to conceive but the arcane is much murkier and larger to behold.  I trust it will grow as the series does, as will our knowledge of the aristocracy that rules it.  All this is shadow and magic, on purpose, by the author because nothing is as simple as it seems.

Especially not a murder with witches involved.

The murder and its investigation is full of twists and suspenseful turns.  Its ramifications will spread into other stories in the trilogy.

I think the characterizations are terrific, although the magical ones feel more complex and intriguing.  All of them,. Somehow the mundane just sort of pale in comparison. It's hard sometimes for the mortal to compete with the magical.  Cosmo shines just that much more brightly than does the rather stoic John in their relationship, even given the strange particulars which I won't go into because of potential spoilers. I wanted something deeper between these two and feel that it's "lack" again is intentional.  I'm waiting for the second book because I'm betting some surprises are in store here.

And did I mention there is a familiar? A cat as well?  Wouldn't be right without one.

Mainly by Moonlight (Bedknobs and Broomsticks #1) by Josh Lanyon closes the curtain on one murder, mostly, only to open the stage to a much larger investigation.  I won't say by whom ...that's for the next story to tell.  But there will be more mystery, more murder, more romance, and yes, more relationship issues to come.  And definitely more magic.  I simply can't wait.

Cover art by Reese Dante:  This comver is simply gorgeous. It suits the character, the tone of the story and draws the eye in. Perfect.

this was really interesting.. i felt like i was watching an old tv show.. it made me curious and happy.. it was interesting and made me happy and made me laugh and i enjoyed it a lot.

I voluntarily read and reviewed and advanced copy of this book, received through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As a fan of murder magic and murder mysteries, I was excited to read this book. 'Mainly by moonlight' is the first book in a trilogy, for that reason, the book ends in a very confusing point, because the mystery isn't fully solved and Cosmo and Josh don't work on solving their communication and trust issues either, which seemed quite strange since they were about to get married. So, it seems like the character arcs have only just begun and we can't really get a full feeling of them in this book. This is the only thing that made me not actually dislike the book.

Focusing on the story, the book starts with the wedding of two characters that have only known each other for a couple of weeks. Surprising, as I later found out that they have some obstacles to overcome besides the fact that John is being accused of murder. John for example, is hiding from Cosmo that he's magical and the son of pretty much French magical nobility, and happens to be under a love spell. It doesn't seem to be a good base for a marriage.

I really liked the pacing. The story didn't seem to drag on and I enjoyed being thrown right into the conflict almost from the very beginning, even if the romance aspect seemed to outweigh the mystery and the magical world. The numerous references to magical pop culture were also pretty great, it was fun trying to find them.

This book was fun to read and a light start to a new series. As a little mystery it was good. The world is interesting and has some potential. I wouldn't mind reading the next book when it comes out.

I want to make two comments before really getting into my review for Josh Lanyon’s Mainly by Moonlight. The first is that while I enjoy the paranormal genre i don’t normally drift towards stories about witches, however, i am a fan of Josh Lanyon’s and since i have enjoyed previous books thought i would give this story a try. The other thing is that although this series is called Bedknobs and Broomsticks, it does not look anything like the children's story. That being said let's get into the review.

Mainly by Moonlight is the story of a cop and a witch, but it is not as simple as that. Cosmo is a witch who wants to live as a mortal and has not really used magic in two years. As an antique dealer he keeps an eye out for those items that have a connection to magic. While looking at a bed that is coming up for auction, he runs into John Joseph Galbraith, who just happens to be the Police Commissioner.

From the beginning I could not help liking Cosmo while worrying that he was making a mistake with John. John comes across a little stuffy and set in his ways especially in the beginning. I don’t want to say to much as it would be very easy to give key points of the story away but I do like how he comes along and by the end of the story i was feeling better about the two men together. I do feel like there is more to John than what we know so far and can’t wait to see how that plays out.

Cosmo soon finds himself in the middle of a mystery however that could affect his relationship with John, and has him wondering about his decision to live like a mortal. There are several little twists along the way that will leave the reader wondering who the culprit is and how Cosmo is involved.

I liked how the way the author builds this story and can’t wait to see how everything goes as it is clear that things are not what they seem. While I know there is a second story following this one, I hope that the author has plans for several more. I am glad that I decided to give Mainly by Moonlight a chance and love this world of witches the author has introduced us to.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed reading this , and I recommend it to everyone

Josh Lanyon’s latest novel is kind of Adrien English meets Bewitched as the owner of an antique store (who also happens to be a witch) finds himself suspected of murder just a few days before his wedding to the city’s Police Commissioner. Mainly by Moonlight is an enjoyable romp that’s perhaps a little more light-hearted than some of the author’s other novels – and as it’s the first in a trilogy, it sets up more questions than it answers, so don’t pick it up expecting everything to be cut and dried by the time you get to the last page.

For years, witch and antiques dealer Cosmo Saville has been trying to locate the Grimorium Primus, the first and most powerful of the Five Grimoires and an important family heirloom. When he receives a message from business rival Seamus Reitherman telling him he has the Grimorium in his possession, Cosmo goes to meet him at his store late one evening – only to find the man lying dead in a pool of blood. Panicked, Cosmo doesn’t have time to do much more than register that Seamus has been murdered (there’s a double-edged knife sticking out of his back) and notice the beginnings of a sacred symbol on the floor in yellow chalk above Seamus’ head before flashing lights and sirens herald the arrival of the police. He’s immediately arrested – and then recognised as the police commissioner’s fiancé. He’s taken to the police station where series of phone-calls eventually leads to the arrival of Commissioner John Joseph Galbraith (who has no idea that he’s engaged to a witch!), and to Cosmo’s release, although it’s clear that’s not the end of the matter.

As soon as he can, Cosmo goes to see his mother Estelle, Duchesse d’Abracadantès and next in line to be Crone – or Queen of the Witches – to tell her about the events of the previous night, only to have another bombshell dropped on him. Like most of Cosmo’s friends, Estelle is not pleased about his plans to marry John, and when Cosmo expresses doubts as to whether the wedding will go ahead seeing as he’s a murder suspect and John is the commissioner of police, Estelle points out that John can’t change his mind because he’s under the power of a love spell – one which Estelle assumed Cosmo must have cast himself.

But he didn’t. Furious at this discovery, Cosmo confronts his best friend Andi who confesses that she put the spell on John as payback for the fact that John behaved like a dickhead towards Cosmo the first time they met. She didn’t expect John would actively seek Cosmo out or that they’d meet again, but he did and they did – and just over two weeks later, they’re engaged, and are due to marry in two days’ time. Cosmo and John might not have known each other very long, but Cosmo has fallen head-over-heels in love for real, and he is horrified at the prospect of marrying John under false pretences. And even moreso at the prospect of losing him forever. But getting the spell removed is the right thing to do, even though Cosmo knows the effects will take time to wear off and that it will likely be excruciating for him as he watches the man he loves gradually fall out of love with him. All he can do is hope that John’s feelings for him aren’t completely due to the spell and that maybe he really does love him… although Cosmo starts noticing a subtle shift in their interactions as soon as it’s removed, which doesn’t give him much hope.

I liked a lot about the story – the pop-culture references, the worldbuilding in terms of the witchy hierarchy and magic (although I wanted to know more about the world of the Craft) and Cosmo, who while maybe a tad neurotic, is a smart, good-natured guy with a dry sense of humour and a big heart. I also liked the set-up for the romance; I had to do a double-take at the fact that Cosmo and John had only known each other for two weeks when they decided to get married, but the rest of it – the removal of the spell and Cosmo’s fears that John was going to call off the wedding and break up with him – worked and I’m eager to find out how things between them develop. I did, however, have a problem with John’s character here. In other books I’ve read by this author where she tells the story through a single PoV, she always does a great job of presenting the other protagonist to the reader through the eyes of the PoV character, but here, that doesn’t happen. John comes across as rather cold and calculating and is very removed from the reader, so it was difficult to get a handle on him or understand what Cosmo saw in him that made him fall so hard so fast. BUT – given that many of the other secondary characters are more fully drawn, and there are hints dropped that there’s more to John than meets the eye, I’m guessing this distance is deliberate and that we’ll find out more as the story progresses in the next two books.

The plotline concerning the murder and the grimoire is concluded in this book, but with the discovery of the existence of a secret society whose activities threaten the entire Craft, there are many threads left hanging to be answered in the following instalments, not least of which who is trying to kill Cosmo?… and what happens when John at last finds out Cosmo has been keeping a massive secret from him?

In spite of the reservations I’ve expressed, I’m nonetheless giving Mainly by Moonlight a recommendation, because I enjoyed it overall and I suspect some of the issues I had will be addressed in future books. I’m looking forward to finding out more about the Craft, seeing Cosmo and John develop as characters and to the conclusion of the various plotlines; and if you’re someone who prefers to wait until series like this are concluded before diving in, the author’s website indicates that book two is due out in October with book three following early 2020, so you won’t have too long a wait.

I have to admit, I skimmed the last third or so of this book because I wanted to see if various things in the plot got resolved, only to discover that they didn't (though apparently one of them is a major plot point in book 2).

This is one of those books which could have been so much better if a couple of things had been resolved, or at least the main character actually thought through the consequences of their actions. There's just too much going on and too many characters who are quirky in different ways rather than having actual human characteristics.

Anyway, on to Mainly by Moonlight itself. The basic premise is that our protagonist, an antiques dealer who also happens to have magical powers, runs across a hunky guy while they're both wanting to buy a weird bed at auction and doesn't really think much of it. Later on, he discovers said hunky guy has been trying to track him down, they date and suddenly they're getting married.

Between that decision and the actual wedding, he discovers that his husband-to-be has been bewitched into believing it's true love. Before he finds this out, he's also accused of murder as he's found by the police standing over the body of a man he'd previously argued with. So far so good, complete with quirky meet-cute and ethical dilemma, alongside a practical problem to solve (together or apart), as his impending spouse is the district attorney.

And that's where for me it all goes awry. First off, they are getting married after only knowing each other for 2 weeks. Yes, 2 weeks. And apparently managed to organise buying a new place, getting some renovations done on it and also a pair of wedding ceremonies in that time. Forgive me if that alone is stretching the bounds of credulity. However, more work's been done by the author on the wedding details than on giving hubbie-to-be an actual personality, which means he comes across as a bid of a tree stump and I never quite get a sense of why this is a relationship I'm supposed to care about.

None of that would have been insurmountable, however, compared to the fact that after discovering that there's coercion involved (because putting magic on someone to make them believe they've found The One is just that), not only do they continue with the wedding, they also have sex together while he waits to see if the spell is just going to wear off. Dude, that's just not okay. And our protagonist doesn't seem to see the implications of the fact they've already had sex in these circumstances, not to mention that he doesn't seem particularly angry at his friend for putting him in this situation. Friends who don't mind making you complicit in sexual assault, what can you do?

This is a bit of a breakaway from the norm for Josh. It's still a mystery but it's a witchy mystery and a lot lighter than usual. Think Kit but less self absorbed and more abracadabra.
I liked the characters, although since you never get John's pov it's hard to understand just why he loves Cos as he does.
I struggled with Cos going into the marriage holding on to that big a secret and now I've read the blurb to the next book I know it's going to come back to bite him on the arse.
The mystery isn't over and neither is the HEA, because even without the spoiler of the next book, what they have now isn't a HEA because John doesn't know everything about Cos.

Oh, this is hard to rate. On the one hand, I really liked our witch, Cosmo, his squabbling friends and family, and the overall idea. It was light, and fun, and could have been really great in my opinion. It's a lot lighter than other books I've read by Josh Lanyon, less murdery, so if you're in the mood for a light, fun, paranormal series with just a hint of murder…

But there were a few things that just bugged me.
- This book is merely a HFN, and the story will continue. Cosmo and John had so many issues, however, that were not properly resolved. I guess I'll have to wait a few books to see if it all works out? But honestly, they literally just met a few weeks before they are getting married, they don't know anything relevant about each other, and even at the end of the book, they are still not very close. I guess this will happen at a later date, but for a romance, I did not find this truly satisfying to be honest. But mostly because I kept coming back to "you literally just met, and one of you was under a love spell!!!!".

- The sex scenes. There's only two of them because Cosmo doesn't believe in sex before marriage. The first one has rimming and tongue penetration, which Cosmo is strangely okay with, but to me, John just felt too possessive, too pushy. I guess they've fooled around before, but still. It felt awkward to me. The second one, after they are indeed married, was just as awkward for me, because Cosmo was strangely ok with losing his virginity with very little preparation. The whole thing just felt off to me, I honestly can't explain it better, sorry.
I just think that because it was all such a whirlwind romance and John was under a love spell for most of the time, I'm just not wholly convinced his feelings are real (something he is puzzling out himself during the book; another thing not really resolved yet).

- The murder mystery that was never really properly solved. Cosmo knows who killed the man he was suspected of killing, but he isn't arrested, or even confronted. It didn't really feel satisfying for me.

I guess my main problem was that it felt a bit underdeveloped to me at times. The romance couldn't really progress because the two never talked about the most important things keeping them apart, the mystery, while interesting, might also be continued later in the series. I guess I would have preferred this as a short novella to introduce a new series, where it's clear everything will be developed and solved later on in the series. But as it is, I have so many questions that were left unanswered.

It was (mostly) fun to read, though, and as a light little mystery it was good. It has a lot of nods to Bewitched that were really fun, and the world is really interesting and has a lot of potential. I'm curious to see what's next.

2.5 stars rounded up.