The synopsis didn't match up with what actually took place in the book, imo. It veered wildly into problems that Trudy and there was little to show for Tannith's threat about bewitching someone to run away with her. There was also not a lot of actual tension nor any romance between Gwen and Jeremy. The romance subplot just flatlined for me.

it felt like a rom-com and that's exactly what i was expecting. it reminded me of the kind of sitcom i would watch as a kid, like sabrina or something but with funnier banter

Not gonna lie, it took me almost a year to finish this book. I think I started it last September to get a jump on spooky season, and I finished it yesterday. Maybe I should've just DNF'd it around the 30% or 50% marks since at both points I was beyond bored and had ridden several tidal waves of irritation at most of the characters. I kept going, though, and I do think in the end I'm glad I did.

But man, it was a long road to redemption.

The first half of this book is painfully slow. Just painfully slow. That's not normally an issue for me, but because I was so looking forward to this one, it just made it worse. I spent the first quarter of it not really liking anyone. The characters were at best, boring (looking at you, Gwen) and at worst, insanely irritating in a way I think was meant to be endearing but my god I couldn't stand them (TRUDY). I didn't find any of the characters actually enjoyable until we got to Aunt Esme (who frankly, for a cranky old bat, was easily a top three character for me and is probably who I want to be when I grow up).

Except for Griz, who is getting his own star.

However. I acknowledge that one person's "so annoying I would rather listen to an entire soundtrack that's just nails on a chalkboard overlaid with a toddler having a temper tantrum than ever have to be in a room with this sort of person" is another persons "quirky and zany" in the way that I'm sure the author intended us to take most of her characters.

Now, once I got over the hurdle that was the first 50% and kind of made myself chill out and just read it, it's nice enough. A little romp with a little magic and a perfectly sufficient amount of romance. Jokes aside, I found I liked it more when I focused on the background and minor characters more than the main ones, and even Gwen had grown on me by the end. I don't regret reading it but I think I would have regretted it if I'd stopped when I initially wanted to quit. Which is to say the second half is redeeming enough that I'm still glad I read it.

The plot is still Swiss cheese it's so full of holes, but it's fine I guess. If I don't think about it, it's fine. There wasn't even a reason for it to be this complicated and nonsensical other than I think it was trying really hard for whimsy and just took on too much. My advice? Don't overthink this one. It's light and fun enough, but once you start looking for consistency in the plot, you'll lose the fun.

Thank you muchly to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Cute cover on this one!

So...I have kind of been putting reading this book off for a while now. The romance gene just holds zero interest for me at the moment and this one sounded very "romance like". However, I needed something light after my last book, so I dived in. I ended up enjoying it quite a lot. Probably because, in fact, it is fairly low in the romance department. It was more a story about a group of siblings and the shenanigans they get up to when their (forbidden to use) magic makes itself known. It was cute. The characters were likable, and I hope the author plans on making it into a series!

**ARC Via NetGalley**

This enchanted rom-com follows the lives of a trio of witches whose family was banned from practising magic, or they risk serious trouble with the Grand Council. But when romance causes their powers to go berserk, they must get their magic – and their love lives – in order before it’s too late.

This novel gave me all the Bewitched / Wandavision / Sabrina vibes. We watch the trio frantically learn and use their powers, despite nosey neighbours and small-town niceties. Alternate POV chapters offer the sense of lurking and waiting, that builds the anticipation of the narrative. It was a slightly slower pace than I would have liked. But it was such a great twist on the contemporary rom-com structure.

A Letter to Three Witches by Elizabeth Bass was the first book I finished this year and I recommend picking it up if you are looking for a light read to brighten up what can be a very dreary season. A mix of small town mystery and contemporary romance, it reminded me a lot of the Ex Hex by Erin Sterling as well as Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

A Letter to Three Witches starts off with three cousins, Milo, Gwen and Trudy receiving an ominous letter from their conniving cousin, Tannith. In this letter Tannith explains that she is leaving their small town and will be taking one of her cousins’ significant others with her. Milo, Gwen and Trudy are of course anxious to figure out who’s significant other is being targeted. And it doesn’t help matters that Trudy seems to be dabbling with magic, which the entire family is forbidden to do. Or the fact that grad student, Jeremy seems to be watching the three cousins quiet closely, especially Gwen. Can the cousins save their relationships from Tannith? And the better question is, do they want to?

I found A Letter to Three Witches to be highly entertaining reading. The story is told from the POV of Gwen, one of the three cousins and Griz, Tannith’s black cat familiar. I found both POVs incredibly enjoyable. Gwen’s POV was obviously more relatable especially when it came to some of the challenges she was facing such as a bit of an identity crisis and coming to terms with a relationship not going the way she would have liked. And Griz’s POV had me in stiches as I think many people would agree that it is both strange and funny to imagine how our pets might view our lives.

The plot itself was a mix of mystery, romance and comedy. The cousins spend the majority of the story trying to figure out what Tannith’s agenda is and how to put a stop to it. At the same time, Tannith’s plotting forces them to tackle their latent magical powers and their place in the magical community as witches who are forbidden from practicing due to a mishap that occurred almost a hundred years ago. Reading about how the cousins find themselves in one magical mishap after the other and attempt to use a combination of social media, a spell book and some old fashioned chemistry was just hilarious. And the romance, whether it was a cousin finding new love or rekindling the romance with his/her partner, was heartwarming. Be prepared for multiple “Aw” moments.

Overall, this is a heartwarming read that is perfect for a cold winter evening.

This was a fun book, especially if you enjoy witchy reads. The characters were quirky and the plot was entertaining. There were some funny scenes with enchanted cupcakes and transformations thatmade me laugh out loud. Overall it was a quick read. There were some unanswered questions so I’m hoping there will be a sequel.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book it's definitely a title I will reach for again in the future it's well written and held my attention throughout

I love all things witchcraft and I thought this book was adorable. It was a light, fun read, but it didn't quite live up to what I anticipated it to be. I finished the book feeling like my curiosities weren't answered. The build up of wondering who, if anyone, could be a Watcher was great, but the "big reveal" wasn't as surprising as I thought it would be and the ending felt too rushed. I wanted more of an understanding of WHO the Counsel was and I don't think I got enough closure as to Odin was or how he was so powerful.

If there's a sequel in the making, then scratch what I've said.
All in all, it was cute and would still be a fun read in the Fall!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this title!

This was a magical, quirky and sweet story. The writing was good with a fast paced plot. It was a quick read, very light hearted and perfectly witchy.

My only complaint is that the romance wasn't all the convincing. It just didn't feel real... I don't know... Maybe it was because of the fast pace of the book...

Very entertaining. Very fun. Very lighthearted. I think I always go into the books expecting more paranormal then it actually delivers but that didn't stop me from enjoying!

What a cute book! I love a good book about witches and this one definitely hit the mark. While I usually read fantasy that tends towards the more serious side this lighthearted story was exactly what I needed to read between 2 lengthy drama filled books. Finished it in a weekend, if you like witches, romance, and a bit of mayhem this book is for you!

This was a cute read! I got it from Netgalley and ended up listening to it on Libby from my library after it came out. It remindedd me of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. The main character Gwen and her family of witches are cursed by the grand council of witches and cannot practice magic. But one week changes all that and everything gets turned upside down. It’s laugh out loud funny, the characters were like able, and the story was just fun.

An interesting concept, unfortunately the execution did not work for me. It failed to hold my interest. Did not finish at 10%.

This was a fun, quickly read. The dynamics between Gwen, Milo, and Trudy were entertaining. Overall, there were quite a few plot holes that left me puzzled but I still enjoyed the antics and humor sewn through. It was still a fun, light read that is perfect when you’re craving some witchy-vibes.

A silly, amusing, hairbrained comedy about a witchy family who are forbidden to do magic. Completely enjoyed it, laughing at all the weird shenanigans going on, and would definitely recommend to a friend!

This was a fun read without too much to think about as the letters sent to the three witches had them jump into the investigation of the truth behind the words. The banter was light so was the mystery. This was the light read between my thrillers that I could finish within an afternoon.

I thought this was a really fun read with well-developed themes and an easy-to-follow narrative. I found the main character very likeable and thoroughly enjoyed this!

This was a fun, entertaining and hilarious reading! As a big fan of witches in fiction, it was a fresh and, at the same time, nostalgic story. I just felt like the plot holes and the way that some characters behaved were too much, and got in the way of the full experience of imersion. If you ignore this and look for a quit and happy reading, A letter to three witches is the perfect choice.

I wouldn’t call it good but I also wouldn’t call it bad. It’s quirky and comical, and it also reads quick. This is the type of read that you can dive into and out of and it won’t mess with the rhythm. A quick read that would be good for someone wanting a lighthearted, easy book to occupy their time and take their mind off things.