Cozy fantasy is absolutely my new favorite genre, and I think Witchful Thinking fits in that category perfectly. This book was so cute and I love that the magic isn't really hidden, but rather witches and mermaids and other magical beings are just living their lives in this town. The characters were diverse and complex, which I love to see especially in romance novels. I really hope we see more books sets in this universe because I loved so many of the side characters, and I want to just get cozy with a cup of tea and more magical romance.

Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin was a fun book set in New Jersey, my home state, that I will be recommending to those who enjoy witchy books.  

I did enjoy the relationship between Lucinda and Alex as well as the "just say yes" plot in this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this copy in exchange for an honest review.  I cannot wait to read more by Celestine Martin in the future.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review! 

This book really took me on a journey and I had a really fun time reading it! I thought that the childhood friends to lovers was done well and I really liked the fact that the sibling and relative relationships were decently fleshed out. The main characters had interests outside of just the romance which added to my enjoyment of the story. It was also really nice that the friends and family of the main characters made appearances more than once or twice in the novel. The characters were really lovable and I could really care about them by the end of the book.

There were aspects of the book that didn't connect with me.For example, there were times plot-wise that I really had a hard time keeping myself invested in the story and the romance, and that made me want to stop reading. I am glad I didn't because I ended up enjoying this book more than I thought I would.

All in all, this was a solid romance with really funny characters, and with a story that you can really enjoy.

A quirky and fun read.  Merman Alex is back in his home town. Will he stay and fall for witch Lucy? I liked how it is told from both points of view.

A fun contemporary romance with a witchy main character and a merman! I really love small-town second-chance romances and this one was very charming! Would be perfect for reading in fall, but of course enjoyable anytime.

So good, witchy and one of the cutest romance I’ve read in awhile. I can’t wait for more from Celestine Martin!

Witchful Thinking was a cute, light, short read that featured some of my favorite tropes such as: 
•fake dating
•slow burn romance 
•small town romance
•paranormal romance
•second chance romance
•forced proximity 

Let me start by saying that I tend to read ebooks or physical books along with the corresponding audiobook because I feel like I personally get more of a comprehensive grasp on the story that way. Well, it didn’t seem to work for me this time… I attempted to listen to the audiobook along with the ebook but I just couldn’t get on board with the narrator and her dragged out sentences like it was all meant to be seductive or something. Listen, I’m not saying that it was bad narration per se but perhaps it might help if you increase the speed (honestly, I didn’t have enough patience to play with the speed at that point & promptly returned the audiobook for my Audible credit back since I barely made it a couple chapters in before calling it quits & just finishing the ebook on its own). 

Anyway, back to the story itself… I won’t tell you the synopsis since I’m sure you’ve already read it and that’s why you’re checking out the reviews. I’ll just mention a few things that I liked about this book. For one thing, I’m a sucker for a slow burn romance and let me tell you, this was definitely SLOW BURN. I also liked that it had plenty of banter and steam between Lucy, our resident witch & Alex, the nomadic merman from Lucys’ past. Please know that this is not fade to black so if you’re not okay with intimacy on page, I suggest you either browse and skip those moments or skip this book altogether. Now let me try to calm my ramblings a bit. I read this as more of a contemporary than paranormal romance though because the magic was very sparse & didn’t seem to have any rules. I wanted there to be more to the magic system so it was more fleshed out. I really liked how everything magical in their small town was normal & not hidden away super secretive. I don’t want to go into every aspect of the book but those are most of the points that I liked & wanted more of. I hope you decide to pick it up and give it a chance. I think most people would like this as long as it’s not taken super seriously. I don’t regret reading one bit :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a sweet, witchy romance. Here we have Lucinda, who has been living in her hometown Freya Grove, and doing magical spells in the evening. She runs into her high school crush Alexander. Unfortunately, the next time that she is doing spells with her cousin Lucy is unfortunately cursed with not being able to say no. She must now help Alex un jinx his house. 

This is a perfect romance to read not only during spooky season but all year round. You have a town full of magical creatures such as Alex who is a merman. Also the romance between Lucy and Alex is really fun to see how it grows throughout the book. all in all, if you are looking for a good witch romance, this book is highly recommend

This was cute and festive for Halloween. A little different than my usual books and creative in that way. It was a little on the cheesey side so it wasn’t a love from me.

A witch and a merman fall in love? Seriously, what better could I ask for 😍 Over the past year I have become *obsessed* with the witchy contemporary RomCom genre, but this is my first time seeing merfolk included in the magical creatures and I LOVE it! 

This gave me all the swoony, magical, small town romance feels I was looking for. An absolute delight, and I’m so happy to add it to my witchy RomCom collection!

This was an unexpected surprise to read, I loved the two main characters. It was whimsical and sweet. The chemistry was really evident. I enjoyed it a lot.

before “witchful thinking” i had yet to come across a novel that combined fantasy with romance … and i’ve got to say that i was pleasantly surprised with how the two genres were incorporated. i absolutely loved the aspects of magic and fate that were added to the mix - everything tied together definitely put me in the autumn spirit. lucy and alex’s lives have their own ideas of what they hope their futures have to offer but despite these differences, i admired how they made an effort to spend one-on-one time together. i especially loved how lucy pushed herself to try things outside of her comfort zone and find more sparkle to add to her life! 

this novel wouldn’t have been complete without the cast of other wonderful characters. i loved lucy’s relationship with her sisters, although i would have been okay without her cousin. i felt like ursula’s bridezilla-esque personality and pessimism overshadowed the romance developing between alex and lucy. to me, she didn’t add anything extra to the plot. on the other hand, i quickly came to admire horatio, alex’s brother, because of how he grounded alex. i thought the two of them share a great relationship and it’d be so cool if he got his own romance next!

I love witchy reads and this one was no exception! Had such a fun time reading and definitely recommend for witchy season

Lucy and Alex had (of course) chemistry, but also were being pulled in opposite directions. Both had some real soul searching to do, and with the help of a little magic, hopefully they both can have their happy endings. The only loose end was her relationship with her cousin - the entire book that relationship felt off or forced, and I wanted some resolution at the end. I'm sure it will be resolved in a future book!

Witchful Thinking is a  light, fun, joyful and a satisfying read that is heavy on family drama as well as romantic tension.

I found this book really lacking. There wasn't enough magic for me, and too many cheesy puns. I had a really hard time grasping the relationships between the main characters and the side characters (their families and friends). There were multiple points where I felt like I had missed something and pages were skipped when I had read every word. I felt like this was a series of books and definitely did not work as a stand alone.

this was a quick and fun read with a slow-building romance and a charming setting. Some aspects of the story felt underdeveloped, but it was entertaining nonetheless.

This was an adorable and fun read! I love second chance romances and the way the magic was included in the story really made it stand out compared to the other romances I have read. I would definitely recommend this book for a cozy and fun fall read.

I went through a dry spell when I rarely read romance novels, and now I find myself gravitating towards them more and more. It wasn't just the romance of this novel though that drew me to it. It had a lot to do with the "witch" part too. I have a soft spot for anything witchy.  While magic does not play a large part in this novel, it is there and I liked how naturally it was interwoven into the novel. 

This was such a fun read. I loved everything about this second chance romance. Freya Grove is a mystic cozy seaside town where magic and magical beings are out in the open. Lucinda Caraway is a high school history teacher and witch. She reads tea leaves at night and loves to garden. She's happy with her life. Mostly. When the opportunity arises to use a wish spell, Lucy, against her better judgement, takes a chance and says yes. That yes turns into quite a few yeses. When she accidentally sends in a fake bio for her upcoming reunion, all those things she mentioned seem to be coming true. She is suddenly taking risks she normally wouldn't, including helping her high school crush, Alexander Dwyer. 

Alex is a merman and award winning photographer who does not believe in putting down roots. He travels the world and never stays in one place too long. He almost did. Once. And it turned out to be a mistake. He won't make the same mistake again. But then, his parents buy him a house and he runs into his old flame, Lucy. He's still determined not to stay, but it's getting harder not to want to. 

I loved Alex and Lucy together. Their romance is one that takes time developing as each of them struggle with admitting their feelings even to themselves because of their conflicting plans for their own futures. It was something they each needed to work through and come to terms with. Oh, and Adam's house! It was like a character of its own in a way. I would not have minded the side characters having been more fleshed out, but I imagine that will happen in future books in the series--which I very much look forward to.

I was provided a copy of this book to read via NetGalley and it certainly did not disappoint. Lucy is such a delightful character and I found myself very sucked into the magical world, hidden within New Jersey, of all places -- a place I often frequent. I loved the references to places such as Jenkinson's Boardwalk in the book! I definitely enjoyed this little witch/merman love saga, and loved that this was very much a book about jumping outside your comfort zone and being your best self. Perfect end to 2022 and onward to 2023!