What happens when a witch family is banned from performing magic for 150 years? Magical drama, that's what!

There were many parts of this book that I enjoyed. The writing was light and fun and kept me interested the whole time. The mystery plot lines were gripping and kept me picking up the book to see what would come next. The chapters told from the perspective of Griz, a cat familiar, were delightful. I did not think at the beginning of the book that I was going to like Griz as much as I did by the end.

The trio of cousins who haven't been allowed to use their powers discovering what it really means to be witches was wonderful! I loved that, even though the story was told from a single perspective, each of the three main cousins got their own plot line and it was clear they each had their own motivations and goals.

Unfortunately, a few pieces did fall short for me. Once the plot got going, it felt like there were too many plot lines to fully focus on any of them. It left some parts feeling rushed or not fully explored.

The big issue for me was that this book was sold to me as a romance. While there are romantic subplots for the secondary cousins that I enjoyed, the main romance plot line was between Gwen and Jeremy. I found this particular romance plot entirely unappealing because the entire time their romance was blossoming, Gwen was in a relationship with another man.

I enjoyed the mystery and the witchy-focused parts of this book, but I found the romance piece disappointing.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington books for the advanced copy!

Gwen Engel’s great-great-grandfather cast a spell with disastrous effects. As a result, his descendants were banned from practicing magic. They had been following this rule for over 90 years until one of the cousins sent a threatening letter to her 3 cousins. This triggered a series of events that caused them to use their powers.

This was a fun story. It was entertaining to see what happened when they started using their magic and the mishaps that came along with it. The 3 cousins are likable characters. It is described as a Rom-Com and that certainly fits. I don’t know if this is intended to be a series, but I certainly hope it will be!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This started out cheesy until Aunt Esme got involved. It was still heavy on rom-com, but the story became interesting. Great ending.
Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

Thank you to Netgalley & Kensington Books for this copy of A Letter to Three Witches by Elizabeth Bass!

I was really intrigued by this book when I saw it was about witches and would be a really fun time. Although the book was enjoyable and I did like the magic aspect, I just found that I never really connected to the characters and there were quite a few questions I never got answers to. I think towards the middle, it seemed to pick up and I was having a good time but that just didn't last very long for me.

I think fans of the ex-hex would enjoy this, because I felt the same way about that that I feel about this, and everyone else loved it.

Synopsis ⁠
Gwen, Trudy, and Milo are the closest of cousins, but, more importantly, they are a coven of witches with no practice at witching. Why? Their family was forbidden to practice witchcraft by the Great Council after a distant ancestor caused the Dust Bowl. So, imagine everyone's surprise when Cousin Trudy accidently performs a hex! Could her sudden craft have anything to do with their other, less-than-cordial cousin, Tannith, and her threatening letter? The events that follow that strange correspondence are sure to be hare-raising! ⁠
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Musings⁠
What a fun read! This is everything I wanted The Ex Hex to be, and more! Lots a spells, witchy commentary, a talking cat, bewitched baked goods, and a witch on the run make this the perfect read for Witchy season, or any time you want a wild ride. I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between the cousins, which totally reminded me of growing up with my own band of close cousins. Just like this trio, we always found ourselves in a pickle with no idea how we got there. While they might not seek out trouble, trouble certainly finds Gwen and her cousins! This fast-paced read with fun characters and witchy goodness is sure to put a smile on your face.

As a Bewitched fan, I was excited to read this book. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. There were some funny moments, and I enjoyed Aunt Esme and Grizz, but I think the plot could have been more developed. Thank you to

A Letter to Three Witches comes out tomorrow!

Plot | ⭐️⭐️
Characters | ⭐️⭐️
Ease of Reading | ⭐️⭐️⭐️

••••••••••••••••••••••••

RATING | ⭐️⭐️

Great witchy fun! Gwen Engel's entire family has been banned by the Great Council of Witches from practicing witchcraft. This was due to Gwen's great-great-grandfather causing the great Dust Bowl in an incident nearly a hundred years ago. The family is monitored by discreet "Watchers" to make sure they do not use their craft. The family has fearfully followed this ruling until a letter arrives to Gwen and two of her cousins from Gwen's adopted sister Tannith saying that Tannith is running away with one of the cousin's men. Gwen and her cousins, Trudy and Milo, don't know which man Tannith has bewitched and is running away with.

The story is a light-hearted rom-com filled with lots of magic. It's a lot of fun and I enjoyed the plot and the characters. Oh, and there's a talking cat, who is a great character too! I liked the premise of the family being forced to live without using their witchcraft and found that to be an interesting obstacle for the family to work toward overcoming.

Thanks to Kensington Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on January 25, 2022.

This was a cute little witchy book. Pegged as romance buuuut not really. It's like a family drama? Kind of cozy mystery? I'm not sure. But it is fantasy. That's all I'm really sure about. A little similar to [bookcover:Witch Please|56233936] [bookcover:The Ex Hex|56554626] but THOSE are definitely romance. I like the uptick in contemporary witchy books lately. They're fun! Nothing amazing, a lot still needing explaining (why did we even have a Griz POV?). This must be the start of a series because there's a lot to still be explored, especially repercussions.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

⭐️3.25 🌶0
Gwen’s family has been forbidden from practicing witchcraft after causing what has since been covered up as a “natural calamity” a hundred years ago. For generations, they obediently follow the Grand Council of Witches’ order on this — until one day, Gwen and her cousins receive a letter from Gwen’s adopted sister, Tannith. Tannith claims she has bewitched one of their partners and will run away with him at the end of the week. Magical mayhem ensues as Gwen and the cousins each try to secure their relationships, discovering their hidden powers in the process.

WHAT I DIDN’T QUITE LIKE IN THIS BOOK
Though pitched as a comedy, the book is not so much about the romance as it is about the comedy. Gwen’s supposedly romantic relationship with a character named Jeremy felt completely flat and flimsy; her cousin Trudy had more chemistry with a passing police officer. The first few chapters were a bit winding as well, so the plot doesn’t quite materialize until halfway into the book. And even then, even when Gwen mentioned something as permanent as the Grand Council of Witches possibly obliterating her, the stakes never really felt significant or urgent.

WHAT I LIKED IN THIS BOOK
This book is such an easy, light, entertaining read: perfect for if you’re just looking to dip into some witchy vibes on a breezy afternoon — with a side snack of cupcakes. (Really, you’ll want to have some cupcakes on you while reading this.) It had the feel of a black-and-white screwball comedy in the old Hollywood style.

With the story told mainly in one person’s POV, Gwen shows a smart sense of humor. When her observations are funny, they’re REALLY laugh-out-loud funny. And speaking of POV, there’s a special treat in this book for certain animal lovers!

I really enjoyed A Letter to Three Witches, it reminded me of my childhood when I would watch Sabrina the Teenage Witch and wonder what a "witchy life" would be like!. This story although pulling heavy at the childhood nostalgia also brought to light many meaningful issues. The family all suffered in one way or another because they were unable to be true to themselves - it was only when chaos ensued that they started to understand their true strengths and feelings! I also did not expect some of the surprises that were revealed as the story went on, making it a very exciting to go from chapter to chapter. I really enjoyed this read and the very colorful characters, it was so easy to just imagine everyone as the story went on. I have to say my favorite is Trudy - she just seems like an emotional hot mess, who can whip up magical treats! Highly recommend this read!

This book is as much screwball comedy as it is a romantic comedy. To me, it’s as much “What’s Up, Doc?” as it is “My Girl Friday”. It’s zany, kooky, and whimsical in all the best ways. It’s like someone merged the show “Bewitched” with the movie “Bringing Up Baby” and just waited to see what chaos Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and the rest of the cast would get up to when they combined witchy powers with screwball comedy plot.

It was so good. Pages kept turning. My Kindle stayed in my hand. I kept smiling. I was completely diverted, smiling endlessly from ear to ear. I ignored everything around me in favor of my fixation on what happens to the three titular witches (Gwen, Trudy, and Milo) after their “cousin” Tannith drops a mysterious letter on each of their doorsteps one night and then disappears without a trace. Once those letters are dropped, events start to unspool that upend the lives of everyone in the family. Their days go from mundane and inane to insane and enlightening. Everything changes in a rapid order when these people are used to everything moving slower than molasses in winter.

I was fully invested in all three of these witches who are suddenly caught in cagey Tannith’s game: scared Milo, bored Trudy, and insecure Gwen. Each of them utterly stuck in a rut, only to be shoved out of that rut when Tannith’s forces their hands. Only things don’t exactly work out exactly as Tannith planned.

This book is charming, funny, witty, and quick. It’s light on its feet and will make you smile. There’s really nothing better than a book like that when you’re feeling a bit down or when you are looking for something sweet and cute. Plus: bunnies, toads, and a cute black cat that probably needs a therapist. You can’t go wrong.

Absolutely delightful story of a witchy family stripped of their witchcraft. But they still somehow manage to use magic to get into and out of all sorts of trouble.

Gwen is snarky, caring and very screwed. The banter between the cousins is infectious and her relationship issues provide lots of angst and laughter. Aunt Esme is by far my favorite character!

This book reads like a lot of the witch cozies I love, with several cool twists and no murder plot. Almost a character piece, but too funny for its own good.

God I hope this is a series!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

Fun and light-hearted with an interesting cast of characters - this book is perfect for someone looking for a book that's vaguely Halloween related, but with a much warmer tone to it. I will say though, I'm not sure I'd describe this as a romance, I think it may work better for fans of more contemporary style books, rather than those looking for a romance to take centre stage.

A Letter to Three Witches started off with the POV from a cat and I thought it was going to go much differently. A few pages later we switch to Gwen's POV, one of 3 cousins who receive a letter from a 4th "cousin" Tannith. The 3 cousins belong to a family of witches, who has been forbidden from practicing witchcraft due to an ancestor's mistake. The letter's from"cousin" Tannith say that she's cast a spell on one of their significant others and will be running away with them at the end of the week. The 3 then proceed to freak out and make a mess out of their lives in a few days because of paranoia and some witchy problems.

Trudy has accidentally hexed her husband Laird and the 3 try to figure out how to change him back without drawing the attention of the Grand Council. They turn to previously "cursed" Aunt Esme for help. Through a lot of fumbling and bumbling LOTS of shenanigans ensue. The whole story felt a little immature in overall tone, and that was mostly Esme calling everyone nitwits and the amount of incompetence shown by everyone involved.

I'm not entirely sure this should be marketed as a "rom-com" because any romance on Gwen's part felt like a subplot or an after thought. Overall the story was cute, but it took me a while to get into. I had to get past the 20% mark to get into it.

Lighthearted, fun, and full of over-the-top magical shenanigans! It’s a quick read, and though there’s a lack of depth and a tendency to meander and leave questions unanswered, it’s entertaining and humorous. Unfortunately, the writing style was not for me.

A Letter to Three Witches by Elizabeth Bass
#seventhbookof2022 #arc

CW: witches, magic

A family of witches banned from practicing are thrown for a loop by a letter they receive from another cousin threatening to steal one of their partners. Chaos and accidental magic ensue.

This book had a cute premise, but I found it a bit lacking. It was slow to start, a little boring in the middle, and then jam packed with plot at the end. I wasn’t super invested in the story, and it felt similar to a cozy mystery, which isn’t usually my cup of tea. I also didn’t care about the brewing romance. (Ha! See what I did there?) There was some minor cat narration that I found amusing.

I think this would be an enjoyable read to someone who wants a low stakes story, something that feels a little Halloween adjacent without being scary, offensive or deep.

Thank you to @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for the advance copy. (Pub date 1/25/22)

A Letter to Three Witches by Elizabeth Bass is a modern day witch tale that invokes comparison, but it truly is a stand alone book. I couldn't put this book down once I started. So be prepared to sip some coffee and stay up late. Full of laughs and compassion, I loved this book. Definitely looking forward to the next read from Elizabeth Bass. I hope A Letter to Three Witches becomes a series - it is that good.

Three modern-day cousin witches, Gwen, Trudy and Milo receive a letter from Gwen's adopted sister Tannith, saying she's running away with one of their partners but doesn't state who. It seems that she has used magic even though the family is forbidden to practice. Or maybe it's a prank. The tension leads to magical mistakes and the danger of them being discovered. Also what's the deal with Jeremy? Is he a Watcher, one of the Council's spies, or something better and more for Gwen?

Starting with lets's call it an unconventional POV that has you smiling from the get-go, this is a narrative exuding great humor. Gwen's POV has a conversational vibe with quirky embellishments (especially when it comes to magic) that still manages to encompass the surrounding characters and events, as to give us a well-rounded story.

I like the build-up as things gradually get weirder and crazier due to the magic going haywire and its misuse. It gifts us with a wonderous mythology full of things like councils, watchers and witchy social media like Cackle and Brewtube!

It seems like 2/3rds into the book the plot device of the letters has been completely forgotten. Also the character of Jeremy feels forced into the story, forced into the characters' lives, and unfortunately forced as a possible love interest for Gwen. Despite my hesitation for the story merit of his existence, I warmed up to him in the end.

There was some philosophizing on life and relationships that was interesting and heartfelt. You cannot deny that this book was entertaining and that the twist was quite good. It was genuinely funny. And I do like messy finale situations needed to be cleaned up by the protagonists. And quirky epilogues. Basically this book was loads of fun.

I went into "A Letter to Three Witches" not really knowing what to expect (it had been a while since I read the blurb) and it turned out to be just the perfect light, cozy, and yet satisfyingly substantial read I am always happy to stumble upon.

The plot is centered around three cousins, all witches from a family who has been forbidden to practice magic or even interact much with other witches due to a great-great-grandfather having caused a bit of an incident that ended with the creation of the dust bowl. And so Gwen, Trudy and Milo live mostly normal lives that are about to be shaken up.
They all receive a letter from their other cousin Tannith who is up to no good and just wants to stir up a bit of chaos by claiming that she will steal away one of the partners of the three to move with him to New York.

However, her timing is not great, because other, unrelated events take the front seat as things start falling apart quite spectacularly after Trudy accidentally does something magical that is difficult to hide for long. Unfortunately, she has no idea how to reverse things, having never learned magic properly. This is threatening to get the family into serious trouble again for practicing magic if the cousins cannot find a quick solution to this problem.

This leads to all sorts of hilarious and also romantic shenanigans that have the pages practically turn themselves.

What I loved particularly about this one is the fact that even though this was fairly light, the author doesn't shy away from quite serious topics of identity, healthy relationships and self-care. She does manage to handle them with a light hand though, and it produces the perfect mix of emotional satisfaction and light-heartedness.

The characters in the story were maybe a bit on the generic side but still distinguishable. I did love how the plot was absolutely character-driven and progessed very naturally. I could always relate to what the protagonists were thinking and why they acted the way they did. I also loved that the whole book was populated by decent, kind people who treat other humans around them as equals (aside from the villains, obviously).
For example cousin Milo is in a gay relationship and absolutely nobody bats an eylash at this, makes snide remarks or acts like it is much of a thing at all (as it should be!!!).

The only thing I was not a huge fan of was the insta-love in the romance bit, it always feels like lazy storytelling.

This one gripe aside this was a quick, lovely, enjoyable read and a great palate cleanser for when you don't feel like dealing with heavy stuff.

I was so excited about this book. When I saw it was on NetGalley I had to read it!

And I was not disappointed at all!
The world building was amazing, the characters as well. I love how they grew through the book.

I like it a lot and would def recommend it