Looking for a YA book with some magic for October? Look no further! Jenna Evans Welch is back with an adorable YA romance set in Salem, MA. I was hooked from the first lines and you will be too.

“Fernweh (noun): a German word that means ‘farsickness’, best understood as the opposite of homesickness….See also: an excellent way to ignore the fact that although I definitely have a place to live, I most definitely do not have a place where I belong. It turns out that home and belonging aren’t necessarily the same thing.”

Willow has never felt like she belongs anywhere and dreams of traveling the world in search of home, away from her mostly absent mother. Mason has bounced from foster home to foster home and also feels like he has no home, but dreams of reuniting with his mother who can’t care for him. They find themselves in Salem for the summer, drawn to one another and working together to untangle a set of clues left by Willow’s aunt related to her family’s secretive past.

I loved that this story tackled difficult family dynamics and showed how Willow and Mason were approaching issues with their families from opposite viewpoints. I was enchanted by the story and their search to find a place to belong and what home and family mean to different people. There’s even a bit of a scavenger hunt to uncover clues that fill in the history of Willow’s family’s past.

In 3 words, this book was heartwarming, charming, magical.

I have been seeing this book EVERYWHERE! And it is always raved about! I can definitely understand why people love it. There are so many aspects that teenagers today would connect to, and lessons they need. As a mom of a struggling teenage boy, there were parts of this that were very difficult for me to read. I couldn't help but feel all the feels when it came to reading Mason's side of the story.

I really enjoyed this one. The characters were well developed and relatable. They each had great development throughout the book and I loved the slow burn that built up. The bits of magic in the story were great. I loved that it was set in Salem too. Overall this was a really cute fun read and I would recommend it to any YA fans.

Spells for lost things by Jenna Evans Welch was simply beautiful. I wasn't sure how I was going to like it at first but from the moment I finally started reading it this week I was enamored.

I loved all of the tidbits about Salem, the dual point of views, the writing, the storylines with the letters.

I do wish I had a finished copy of the book because there were some spelling mistakes here and there, but I do plan on buying a finished copy sometime in the future.

This was a five star rating. And I did spot one reference to Hocus Pocus. Spells for lost things was simply beautiful. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing chance to read and review. I think Jenna Evans Welch is now an auto buy author for me. Post will be up on blog soon.

Thank you to author & Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

I’ve read all 3 of her other books and they’re all such cute and fun YA books! This book has a lot going on, and I loved it.

This is witchy, there’s young love, there’s a struggling mother-daughter relationship, and there is the sweetest boy in foster care with the absolute perfect family.

Love, love, love this book! If you like YA, you’ll love this one, especially if you want a little witchcraft in your life this fall!

TW: foster care, divorce, addiction

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Willow dreams of traveling the world. Her first big move would be a study aboard program in France for her entire Senior year, but her Mom puts a big kibosh on that idea before it even gets off the ground. Feeling confused by her mother's detached nature, Willow is further surprised when her Mom tells her they need to leave immediately to travel to Salem, Massachusetts, to settle the estate of an Aunt that Willow has never even heard of. Her mother had a sister!?

Yeah, Willow had no clue. Her Mom doesn't talk a lot about her early life, but this is pushing it even for her. Not really having an option in the matter, Willow goes along for the journey. In a way it's what she wants, to travel. She's intrigued by the quirky little town they discover and the people, even quirkier.

Mason has been in and out of the Boston foster care system for a while. Some placements have been okay, some have been bad, but his end goal has always remained the same. He needs to get back to his Mom. They belong together.

Mason was removed from his mother's care because she is an addict, who has been unable to care for him. Now he is getting ready to go into a new placement. It's a little different this time, as the woman, Emma, was once best friends with his Mom. Emma lives with her husband and their four daughters in Salem, Massachusetts.

They're both new in town, strangers to everyone, but when their paths randomly cross one night under the bright New England stars, it seems like Willow and Mason were fated to know one another. They become fast friends as he helps her try to solve a mystery involving her mother's family. All the while she's helping him with his own life without even realizing it.

Y'all, this book left me speechless. It's definitely a slow burn, but man, did it creep up on me with a vengeance. The last few chapters held so many moments that brought tears to my eyes, choked me up, left me gasping with the beauty of it all.

I have read all of Jenna Evans Welch's other novels and have enjoyed them all, giving both Love & Gelato and Love & Olives 5-stars, but this book has a power behind it that none of those had. Those are great books, but this is a special book. It's a heavy hitter that has the ability to open hearts and minds to perspectives that may not have been considered before. That's some serious stuff.

Both Willow and Mason are on the cusp of adulthood and both have visions of what they want their futures to be like. Unfortunately, both of them are struggling with unresolved family issues that could put a serious damper on their abilities to thrive. I loved how they came together at the right time and were able to both gain insight from one another that helped them with their own path.

Although their circumstances are completely different, I think they found unlikely allies with one another and that was something they both desperately needed.

In addition to the hard-hitting Contemporary story, I loved just the overall feel of this book. Due to the setting, which plays such a role in this story, it really has a great, cozy Autumn vibe. If you are looking for an atmospheric Autumnal read, but maybe aren't a fan of Horror, or spooky stories, this could be a great fit for you. You'll want to grab a hot beverage, some tissues and a cozy sweater as you get swept away by this engaging tale of love, magic, family and friendship. I definitely recommend it!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to see what Jenna Evans Welch gives us next!!

If you’re looking for a story with an adorable romance, quirky witches in the town of Salem, and a solid helping of teen angst, then this book is for you!
This author does a great job making the characters and locations in the novel jump off of the page and into real life. Every character is vibrant and unique, with their own thoughts and motivations. And whether you engage with the story or not, it is impossible not to want to explore a witch’s house in Salem after reading this book.
This wasn’t the most exciting book I’ve ever read plot-wise, but it was cute, and I can see it being a favorite of future romance novel lovers in the 12-16 age group—I probably would have liked this book at that age myself, and with such deliciously simplistic and adorable cover art, I would definitely have picked it up and given it a shot.
This sweet—and, toward the end, emotional—story captures the floaty feeling of a first crush, as well as touching on the effects of divorce, absent parents, the foster care system, and non-traditional family settings overall. It is amusing young adult fare with just the right amount of heart… and a healthy amount of tears.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

“‘Witchcraft is about what is already inside of you. You get to listen to your own inner voice and decide what makes you most powerful.’”

The summer between junior and senior year of high school is supposed to be perfect. Or so Willow thinks. All she wants is to travel the world, but when her aloof mother suddenly drags her to Salem, Massachusetts to wrap up the affairs of an aunt Willow’s never even heard of, her plans are put on hold. In Salem, Willow meets Mason who’s just moved into his newest foster home. He’s desperate to find and reconnect with his mom, but not sure where to look. When a chance meeting in Willow’s aunt’s house brings the two together, they agree to collaborate to solve a mystery revolving around Willow’s family. But with time ticking before the house is sold and Willow leaves, can the magic between them last?

SPELLS FOR LOST THINGS is perfect for the spooky season, especially if you can’t get enough of Salem after watching HOCUS POCUS 2. I loved the dual perspective aspect, and author Jenna Evans Welch did a phenomenal job writing two very distinct narrative voices for Willow and Mason. Welch’s novels always give me wanderlust, and this one is no exception. After finishing the book in just a few days, I found myself longing to visit Salem and experience the charming city for myself. The inclusion of a few magical elements was also really fun to read, and I enjoyed how effortlessly the magical threads are woven throughout. Additionally, the romance between Willow and Mason is sweet and entertaining, wrapping this spellbinding story up with a starry bow. With four adorable foster sisters, three witchy aunts, two POVs, and one heartwarming romance, SPELLS FOR LOST THINGS is definitely not to be missed!

Content Warnings: Divorce, drug addiction, anxiety, moderately strong language, death of a family member, homelessness, mentions of child neglect, foster care system

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

An enchanting summer mystery that is the perfect step into fall book, Spells for Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch follows two lost souls as they attempt to settle in Salem, Massachusetts and possibly find themselves along the way. Told in dual POV, my personal favorite, the story unfolds around Willow and Mason.

Willow is the child of divorced parents, flitting through life without much care. She has a wandering spirit, looking for a place to call home ever since her home was ripped from her. With her mother focused on her career and her dad focused on his new family, Willow feels alone and the only thing that grounds her is her dreams of traveling. Mason is a foster kid, his dad never in the picture and his mom missing from his life for over 8 years. Mason breaks my heart in more ways than one, but his story is also the one I connected to in the book. I’m not sure I would’ve been able to finish it if told exclusively from Willow’s perspective. We find Mason newly placed in Salem with his mother’s childhood best friend. The reminders of his mom hurt, but also help to ground him, and for the first time in his life Mason begins to feel at home.

I really enjoyed this story. It’s a sweet, summer romance – slow building, lots of shy looks, friends to crush status. What really drew me into the story though was the setting of Salem. Welch intertwines Mason and Willow’s story over the rich history and contemporary whimsy of the town. I loved the bit of magic and fantasy that enters the story because of it. This book is perfect for YA readers of all ages. I appreciated how different Mason and Willow are and yet how similar as well. They are so easy to relate to.

Overall, I really enjoyed Spells for Lost Things. The setting of Salem adds a magical element to this otherwise contemporary YA. The romance is sweet and full of first love and friendship. It is sure to leave you smiling by the end. Readers of all ages will enjoy Willow and Mason’s adventure.

One of the things that I find interesting about this book is the fact that both characters have issues with their moms. Willow’s mom is emotionally absent. She’s there, but she’s so remote that Willow feels distant from her. Add to that the fact that she has this whole secret past life including a family Willow has never even heard of, much less met, and it only makes sense that she’d feel estranged.

Then there’s Mason, whose mom has been missing for the last few years while he’s been shuffled around in foster care. He clings to rituals they used to share about looking for signs and exploring new places together, but he knows she’s a mess. It’s part of why he feels like he needs to find her. To help her get her life straight. After all, that’s what you do for the people you love, right?

So mom issues on both sides. Which is an interesting choice because Mason is seventeen. It seems unusual (though not impossible) that a boy that age would focus on his mom in that way. I thought that made him an unusual and empathetic character.

Willow’s great aunts were a lot of fun. I liked that they leaned into the witchy-ness of Salem and the family lore. I also loved the things that came up as Willow and Mason began to look more into their family history and to try to understand what happened and learn about Willow’s potential family curse.

The historical setting and letters from Willow’s aunt about the past all added some nice layers to the story. I think those were my favorite parts, actually. I loved getting to piece all that together and the way things shifted the more we learned about the past.

SPELLS FOR LOST THINGS is the second book by Jenna Evans Welch that I’ve read. I enjoyed it for sure– I’ve been reading such dark (spooky!) books lately that it was really nice to take a break and read a fluffy romance. I think I liked LOVE & OLIVES a teeny bit better than this one. That might be because of the Greek setting and the amazing bookstore in the book. It’s hard to beat that!

I think fans of Jennifer E. Smith or Kasie West will like this sweet romance.

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

• magical, witchy YA
• dual POV
• relatable characters

Spooky Szn but make it YA! I really enjoyed this light mystery/light romance coming-of-age book. It explores family history and self discovery while dealing with heavy topics like divorce and addiction. The witchy aunties were my favorite characters. They're awesome!

🗣️ Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

PUBLICATION DAY
Spells for Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch 🪄 ✨ 🧙🏼‍♀️

Willow and her mom are traveling to Salem, Massachusetts so her mom can sell an estate she inherited. Mason is going to yet another foster home, this time with relatives in Salem. It will only last until he can find his mom and be with her again.

Both Willow and Mason feel pulled to Willow’s aunt’s house — a house passed down through generations of witches. There they meet and Mason agrees to help Willow find out everything her mom has been hiding about her past. And if a teenage crush could turn into love along the journey, who could blame them?

This is a charming YA romance/fantasy that is easy to read and enjoy. The story is sweet and heartwarming; a perfect cozy weekend read. I loved the variety of family dynamics we get from the characters— especially Mason. The main focus of the book is not on his experience in foster care, but there was consideration and understanding to how he views the world that is important to have space in books. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -J

This was a super sweet, atmospheric read perfect for the autumn season. I really liked the way it tackled som heavy, important topics on the backdrop of family mysteries and witchery and Salem, MA. I would have loved to see a little bit more from the romance between Mason and Willow, but their individual journeys were great and I had a really good time with it.

I thought this was a really cute book with the most genuine of characters. There was a lot of heartbreak and hard truths filling the pages, but it was smoothed out with the possibility of magic and the start of a first love. The story dealt with the feelings of being lost in life, not knowing where your place is. It was a little different approach for this author too, having the story dual narrated by both main characters and I absolutely loved having both perspectives.

My one complaint was that the ending was way too abrupt for my liking. We don't really get any idea what will happen to the characters, be it relationships or overall life, at the end, the story just ends after a big event occurs. I love my stories to be wrapped up in a bow with no loose ends, which I know is not how life is, but I would have liked an epilogue or a year later chapter or anything so I knew everything was ok. But I am sure others will not have my hang up, so I 100% recommend this story to anyone who loves family drama, characters you can really root for, and the sweetness of first love.

Jenna Evans Welch does it again! I did not think I could love her books any more than I do but this book was absolutely perfect. She has a way of writing a place that makes you long to visit there. Every sentence I read about Salem made me desperate to plan a trip. In addition to the perfect witchy element, I loved the way that Welch wrote characters that felt flawed yet lovable, with deep back stories full of realistic family dynamics. This book was emotional and whimsical and magical and I could not put it down.


*Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and Jenna Evans Welch for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

First, can we take a minute to appreciate the cover of this book?? Second, I really liked this one. Willow's parents have divorced, and she now lives in California, with her work-addicted mom. Her dad is remarried and has triplets and basically never has time for her. Willow has dreams of traveling the world. Her bestie Bea lives in France, so she asks her mom if she can go study abroad and her mom says no. One day Willow finds out that her mom basically is living a secret life. The mom who she thought was named Mary and was from Martha's Vineyard, is actually Rosemarie from Salem Massacheutes and has a complicated family history. When "Mary" learns that her sister died, and she left the family home, Mary and Willow travel to Salem.

This book also has another character named, Mason who is in foster care due to his mother being a drug addict, though he hasn't given up looking for her. He is fostered into his mom's ex-best friend's family. It is a chaotic house, as they already have 4 daughters.

Willow and Mason meet one night when they both sneak into the house, Mason to stargaze, and Willow to find a book. From there, Wilow is put on a mission by her crazy and eccentric Aunts. She asks Mason for help, and along the way, they find adventure, love, growth, and the truth.

Can I just say, that I adored all of the characters? The aunts were hysterical and I want to hang out with them. The 3 little sisters were sassy and adorable. We even saw some growth when it came to Nova. One thing I wish we saw more of was the friendship between Nova and Mason. The growth between Willow and her Mom really made me happy, I am glad Mary opened up and told Willow how she really felt.

I definitely recommend this book. It gives off the perfect Spooky Season vibes.

I absolutely loved this sweet, heartwarming, whimsical story about finding love and belonging!

In the wake of her parents divorce, Willow is struggling to connect with her mother, and longs to find a place that feels like home. When an unexpected event brings Willow and her mother to Salem, Massachusetts, she learns that her mother has a secret past. This sends her on a quest to unravel a centuries old family mystery with the help of three eccentric, witchy aunties and a mysterious, captivating boy, Mason, who is on a quest of his own. As their stories intertwine, so does a magical bond between them that helps tear down the walls around their heart to find hope and healing.

This book really tugged at my heartstrings, especially as a mom, since so much of the story centered around relationships with mothers. I think the dual POV for Willow and Mason was a brilliant choice. It added so much depth to these characters as we explore their emotions and unique experiences. This could have been a much heavier read, but Welch infused this book with charm and a sprinkle of magic, thanks to a great cast of supporting characters, a scavenger hunt in a whimsical old house, first love feelings, and the atmospheric setting of Salem.

Overall, this is a story about the complexities of family that I think so many people can relate to. It's also about finding love, connection, and belonging in unexpected ways and places. This is a wonderful book for teens and adults alike. It's a perfect sweet, feel-good read to cozy up with on a chilly fall night. 4.5 stars, rounded up!

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and the author for this eARC!

Fans of Welch's previous works will fall quickly for Spells for Lost Things!

We follow Willow and Mason, two teens that are finding their way in separate but equally complicated worlds. When Willows mother secret past sends them to New England to deal with a families estate the two teens are sent on a collision course toward one another. Once Willow and Mason meet they find themselves intrinsically drawn to one another. They team up and begin to investigate Willows families past. Together they work hard to find the truth and in the end might just find more than they bargained for.

Like the authors other works, this is a sweet little story with lovable characters and delightful troupes. The Salem setting lingers in the background adding a fun extra element. If you need something sweet in the midst of your spooky season reading, this just might be the ticket!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

In Jenna’s latest novel that is separate from her renown Love & Gelato series, I found her usual whimsical storytelling with likable protagonists set in a location that becomes as much of a character as anyone. Spells for Lost Things is a heartfelt novel about two individuals who don’t know where they belong in this world, but perhaps could find what they’re each searching for with one another’s help.

Yes, this is a dual POV story and I was totally here for it. I loved how both Mason and Willow have such distinctive voices right from the start and it totally adds to the story by knowing their deepest thoughts and struggles both so intimately.

Mason is an astronomy lover, and the little geeky stargazer that I am was super ecstatic with all the star facts just splayed across this story. Also, he keeps a star log and I absolutely need to do that over a traditional journal. Being a foster kid in search of his mom’s whereabouts, immediately we get the sense of his struggles as she had always been the anchor to Earth, the gravity that kept him moving from home to home because they’d be reunited one day when she was ready. I don’t have firsthand intimate knowledge of what the foster system is like, but I did think his actions and behaviour felt genuine when placed in his new foster home. He wasn’t always happy or outwardly grateful but my heart couldn’t help but love him for what he had gone through and was still working out.

Willow brought some more of the lightness to the story, although her own struggles with her workaholic mom was prevalent. Her mom’s secrets and distant behaviour left Willow in search for home, that sense of feeling that she belonged and fitted somewhere. Like Mason, she too was unmoored and had a wanderlust that drove her restless to see all that was out there in the world.

That being said, while it could’ve been a really serious and dark book, the balance of fun and lightheartedness worked out well in the context of Willow’s search for her witchy ancestry. With the help of Mason by her side to decode her aunt’s clues left for her and her mom to follow surrounding a mystery in their ancestor’s past in Salem, their struggles and individual losses were brought to light that felt natural. The chemistry between the two teens were present right away. While I loved both characters individually for who they were – a grand feat as YA romances sometimes define their protagonists based on their interactions with one another and not as separate individuals – I am glad their interaction as a unit was just as beautiful.

I mentioned earlier that the location is just as big of a presence as any person in the story. Like Jenna’s previous books, Salem gets brought to life on page before us. For someone like me who hasn’t travelled extensively to such locations, I felt like I was walking down the streets with them, seeing ghost tours, feeling the 365-day year round Halloween spirit that still had room to be amplified more in October. The witch aspect of the story wasn’t super developed like other books, so don’t expect a whole system described about how spells work or their specific beliefs. This might’ve been something that would bother me in another story, but it worked in this one. Being witches is not the main focus, although Willow’s eccentric great-aunts were such wonderful gems that brought the comic relief. But I will warn that may be something certain readers would want to see more, so unfortunately I’m letting you know now it may not be as expected.

Overall, Jenna Evans Welch displayed she can write a fun contemporary story even within a more local setting while focusing on character development that made her protagonists shine brightly. Spells for Lost Things is a perfect read for contemporary romance lovers and comes at the perfect time to snuggle up with a blanket on a cold October evening.

Overall Recommendation:

Spells for Lost Things follows 2 protagonists, Mason and Willow, on their individual journeys to seek what they feel is missing in their lives. It brings them on a crash course collision in Salem, home of magic and whimsical longing. Salem was beautifully described, almost like a character itself, and it made me want to take a visit there some time. The seriousness of both protagonists’ struggles with feeling lost was balanced with the lightness that came with Willow’s quest to discover her family’s past, including the fact that she is a descendant of a line of witches. I really enjoyed the character development most in this book for each character, and their romance was sweet and perfect for any who loves a good ending. Overall, a solid read and continues to show off Jenna Evans Welch’s writing in this genre.

Book Review: Spells for Lost Things
Rating: 3.5 / 4

This book comes out tomorrow 🎉🎉

Book Details:
-Genre: YA romance
-Setting: Salem
-written by the author of the Love & Gelato series
-Publication Date: 9/27/22
-Features Salem witchiness, an exploration of family ties, and a really cool house

Seasonal Read
If you are looking for something seasonal to read, but you aren’t a huge scary/fantasy person, this could be a great option! Since it is set in Salem, it is very atmospheric and has a lot of elements that fit well into spooky season. There is magic, but it’s still predominantly a romance (think romance with magic elements rather than a fantasy romance).

Personal Connection
Personally, one of my favorite things was reading this after having been to Salem recently. There are so many mentions of various locations, and many of them I had been to just weeks ago. Throughout the book I was excitedly texting my friend who went to Salem with me about all the things mentioned in the book that we saw while there!

Family History / Timelines
One of the unique elements of this book is that it heavily focuses on family dynamics and family history. While the story is set in the present, there are ways the past is weaved in as well that I really enjoyed. It balances found families and gaining an understanding of your own family history in a meaningful way.

Overall
This book is a quick read and engaging. It feels magical in a cute way, but also deals with heavy topics. I love how it weaves in family history as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review