Gretchen Rue’s Spell Bound is a delightful witchy romance sure to cast a spell on readers everywhere!

Phoebe Winchester’s To-Do List keeps getting longer and longer. Ever since she’s moved to Raven Creek, Phoebe has been renovating her Aunt Eudora’s cottage whilst also running a teashop (and secret apothecary) and learning to be a witch. Busy has become Phoebe’s middle name, however, things are about to get a whole lot more complicated for her when she stumbles upon a dead body at an estate sale and becomes suspect number one!

Desperate to clear her name, Phoebe realises that she’s going to need help if she’s to escape being jailed for a crime she didn’t commit, so she hires private investigator and childhood friend Rich Lofting. As if being wrongly accused of a criminal offence isn’t bad enough, Phoebe has to also keep her unresolved feelings for Rich under wraps – and that’s becoming more and more difficult with each passing day.

As their investigation takes a darker and sinister turn, Phoebe’s about to discover that there’s far more to Raven Creek than meets the eye. Will she manage to find out who is responsible for the dead body she found? Will she and Rich move out of the friend zone? Or is it all going to end in tears?

I couldn’t stop myself from galloping through Gretchen Rue’s Spell Bound. A beguiling mix of romantic comedy and cosy mystery, Spell Bound is imbued with laugh out loud humour, small town shenanigans, touching romance and plenty of nail-biting tension to keep readers glued to its pages from start to finish!

Fun, flirty and fabulous, Gretchen Rue’s Spell Bound should not be missed.

Pheobe Winchester has had a lot to deal with. After finally getting over, finding a dead body, and dealing with a near death experience, she's hoping for a more relaxed time. But whilst visiting an estate sale, hoping to find some books for her shop, she stumbles upon another dead body thanks to her cat Bob. When she realises she's also a suspect, she decides to take action by enlisting the help of her private investigator friend Rich to help her. Is Pheobe going to end up in the firing line again?

This is a very good cosy mystery series. I enjoyed being back with the characters from the first book, but I also feel that this could be read as a standalone as we do get details from the first book. My only complaints are that I wish there was more witchy-ness in this and more about Pheobe using her powers and that it wasn't so repetitive as many times I felt I was ready the same thing just worded a little different. I recommend if your looking for a fast paced cosy mystery.

I will begin with my only bugbear- this book is the second in a series. I didn’t know! And the worse thing is the other book by of this fab series was on my Kindle! Saying that I will be going straight back to read!

I loved this book! It brings together everything you need from a paranormal cozy, dead body found, multiple suspects, a tea room with magical herbal mixes, a town busybody … with a nice array of characters, some genuinely really well done red herrings where my opinion changed on what had happened this random person found dead, with some great magic (I would have loved even more!). This book ticked every box for me, with the fact that it’s on the shorter side making it one of those books you simultaneously raced through and savoured. A sparkling, fantastically magical read, that I’d definitely recommend and can’t wait to go back to the other!! More Gretchen Rue please, and Aria/Head of Zeus- ye are playing a blinder!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Rating: 5/5

She’s renovating the Victorian manor she inherited from her Aunt Eudora, running a tea shop (and secret magical apothecary), and learning to be a witch. But when she discovers a dead body at an estate sale, and suspicion falls on her, even Phoebe wonders if this is simply too much.
Forced to take action to clear her name, Phoebe enlists Rich Lofting, handsome private detective and childhood friend, to assist with her investigation, all while sorting out her unresolved feelings for him.

There is nothing more I love than a cozy mystery with a little bit of magic and this is exactly what this book was!

I had not read the first one in the series but felt as though I did not need to as straight away I was engrossed and knew everything I needed to know about the characters.
It was short, it was sweet and also it helped me get out of a stubborn reading slump.

I rated this 3 stars.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of this series. When I requested it on NetGalley I didn’t realise it was a series so I went back and read both books. I thought there was a bit too much going on in these books without any of the different aspects having much detail. I feel as though the story would be better if just one, the magic, the romance or the murder mystery was focused on in more detail rather than trying to squeeze all three into such a short book that doesn’t have the time to elaborate. I enjoyed the writing and the characters in the book, it had good dialogue. The idea for this book was great but overall it just felt like too much was squeezed into these books.

funny mysterious slow-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0 Stars

Even though I had not read the first book in this series "Something Wicked" (not advertised well as a second book in a series) , the first 15% of Spell Bound was all about recapping everything. I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the book and all its characters and cozy vibes, but this really made the book difficult to get into. Recapping is never a bad thing but for it to take up such a large space at the begin of the book was really disengaging for me and took me days to get through and I found myself wanting to read other books...

Once I got to 25% the story really started to kickoff and I had a lovely time from there.

Great read if you are interested in a cozy and witchy town setting, slow-burn romances and a murder mystery driven plot!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review!

I swear to god, I need publishers to make it clear when a book is the second in a series on NetGalley. Thankfully, this book does essentially explain the entire plot of the first one, so it wasn't as dire as it has been, but still. All you need to do is say Book 2.

Here's the thing about this book. There's little to no romance. There's essentially no magic to the point where I kept forgetting Phoebe was supposed to be a witch because she doesn't do any magic and it doesn't help her solve the mystery at all. There's a mystery but it's not well written and the villain reveal confused me because it was a such a minor character that I didn't even remember. There's a lot about whatever Phoebe is making to eat? I'm not really sure what this book is.

Phoebe makes a lot of bad, suspicious decisions against the advice of everyone around her and seems to be genuinely trying to get herself killed. She proclaims she wants to solve the mystery because she doesn't want to be a suspect, but makes herself incredibly suspicious and also discovers almost nothing. I wish she was interested in mysteries, or it had something to do with magic, like she thought she could help the cops with alternative means because otherwise, it's such a flimsy reason to be doing all this.

Phoebe also talks and thinks a lot about her body and what she can and can't eat, and honestly it was clear that she had unaddressed body image issues, which is fine, but like, let's address that? It's not fun to read and it makes me really sad for her.

I've got to be honest, I didn't get this one. I don't know what niche it is, other than vaguely cozy and low stakes mystery? It didn't do it for me.

Two stars for Bob being cute.

Magic, baking, romance and murder.

When Phoebe turns up to an estate sale to buy some secondhand books for her store, she doesn't expect to discover a dead body (or her cat at the crime scene).

Paranoid that she might be a suspect, she decides to investigate.

With the help of a few friends, and some magic, this bookstore and teashop owner is ready to solve a book-worthy mystery.

Thoughts:
As a series this has the ingredients to make for a tasty treat.
The set up of the town, Phoebe's store, her friend circle, and all the food - all super cozy, with just a sprinkling of romance thrown in.
The mystery - not 100 percent predictable.
But the plot does meander at times.
Favourite character - Bob the cat, hands down.

Review of both Something Wicked and Spell Bound

I enjoyed both of these books a lot. Tea, books and cats are a really good combination and adding in a murder mystery and a sprinkling of witchcraft pretty much made it the story for me. It was really nice just immersing myself in the little town of Raven Creek. It had a very Gilmore Girls vibe to it that I really enjoyed.

During the first book, I found that there weren’t enough mystery elements involved. It seemed like the mystery was something that was happening to Phoebe rather than her going out and investigating. The second book really made up for it though. The only thing I would change is, I would like more witchcraft. Again the second book did more of this, but I still felt it was a big lacking

There were also plenty of books and plenty of cat moments. The cat was not an incidental character in the books, he was central to all of the action, especially in the second book, which I found really great. So often there’s a cat on the cover and the cat is just there in the background. But not with Bob! Bob is definitely a main character.

I hope there are more of these books because I’m not quite ready to leave Raven Creek just yet!

This is a book to in the series and I have not read the first one, but it is not needed, it may be treated as a standalone with a tiny spoiler for book one.

I was intruiged when I first saw this book on NetGalley, so I requested an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion - so here we are.

Phoebe wants to live her calm and easy life, while renovating a mansion she inherited, running Tea Shop at the day, and witchy Apothecary after hours. She just wants to learn her witchcraft she newly discovered, Unfortunately, she is caught in the middle of murder investigation, and of course she needs to solve it, because it doesnt look good.

I liked cozy vibe this book is giving, even if I havent read the first book I didnt feel like I have lost something from Phoebes perspective, however for a witch book there was not enough witchy things going on inside. I was hoping for some spells and rituals, and well, it wasnt there. But still it was good read 😊.

Cosy mystery with witchy vibes and cats? Um, yes please!! This was a thoroughly fun and sweet little mystery, perfect for reading on a rainy day with cups of tea, and a kitty curled up on your lap. Highly recommend.

Phoebe moves into her Aunt's old manor, is trying to run a business, and learning how to control some of her new abilities. As any woman does, she stumbles upon a murder and is of course accused of being the killer. How can she prove she isn't?

A cosy witchy mystery is always a plus in my books. This was a cute and easy read and it kept me thoroughly entertained. Looking forward to whatever Rue writes next!

A great read. Phoebe is in the wrong place at the wrong time when there is another murder in proximity to her. She enlists Rich to help her prove her innocence by finding out who did it. Loved Bob the cat! I am assuming this will be a series, so looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Phoebe has recently moved to Raven Creek, after her Aunt Eudora passed away. Phoebe is busy renovating her aunts victorian manor. Along with her tea shop that also sells magical tea blends.
Phoebe is also try to learn withcraft after learning she has the power to slow down time.
One day she goes to an estate sale in the hopes of precuring books for her shop. After hearing a conversation between the lady running the estate sale. She heads down to the auction , when out of the corner of her eye she sees her cat bob running by. She chases after him only to end up with them both covered in blood. Now Phoebe is a suspect for murder. Along with her childhood friend Rich who is a private investigator. Phoebe works the case to get her off the suspect list.
As she starts to ruffle some feathers, will the killer strike again ?
Spell Bound is a fun cozy mystery, I found myself immerse with the characters and the town of
Raven Creek. Can't wait to read more from this author. Highly recommended for fans of cozy mysteries. ARC recieved from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up!
I enjoyed this sequel to Something wicked! It has perfect small town vibes and I definitely got Gilmore girls from this one with the town meetings and setting. It followed on a few months after the first book and I loved how the descriptions fit the season.
In this book, Phoebe gets wrapped up in another murder mystery, but this one is a little less cosy as she gets threatened for meddling a couple times. I enjoyed learning more about Raven Creek and Phoebe’s plans for her bookshop. Bob (the cat) was a highlight and I enjoyed the plot around him and a cat rescue centre.
Overall an enjoyable read and a nice easy mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley and Aria & Aries for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Going into this book, I thought it was the first in a series or even a standalone—only to find out it's actually the 2nd book upon reading the author's acknowledgments. This shows how great the author is at creating characters; you can jump into the second book and not feel completely lost. What I loved most about this book was that it's a cozy fantasy with the twist of a murder mystery, both elements I think went very well together. Also, I don't know how she did it, but the author went into my brain, found my dream life, and made it into a book. We have a witch who owns a bookstore, brews cute herbal teas, owns a cat, and plays Nancy Drew on the side—how more perfect could it get? Another thing I loved was that this is set in the 2020s with references to TikTok and Instagram and everything I normally cringe at when reading in a book, but somehow the author was able to make it feel realistic and normal for the characters to be speaking about these things. The only thing that kind of annoyed me was that I was confused about what age our main character was for a lot of the book, until the author told us. However, now knowing that this is actually a sequel, it makes sense, and I can't hold it against the author for my own oversight. Definitely recommend this book! I rated this book 4.5 stars but would rather bump it up to a 5 than down to a 4:)

Phoebe is once again stuck in the middle of an investigation thanks to her cat Bob for discovering a death body at the estate sale. With her not wanting to be a suspect she takes it into her hands to start investigating on who is the killer.

This series is such a cosy read and I’m here for it. I love how the food and the tea is being describe in such a tempting manner, I would love to try them, that it gives out such a warm feeling to it. I loved how we got recap of the other story meaning that there’s no need to reread it.

Phoebe at times did seem more annoying, endearing her own life. This is a slow burn book, there’s still a small glimpse of who the love interest it, the interact a lot throughout this book but not enough for there to be any form of romance between them. I would love to see the romance develop further in the series.

One thing that made this book be a four star read was that we don’t get to see Phoebe revolve with her magic at all. It feels like we’re still at step one of her magic. She doesn’t practice her magic even though for someone who spends a lot of time talking about her aunts magical tea blends, there’s not enough magic for a book who centres based on witches and magic.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

It's been 7 months since Phoebe moved to Raven's Creek and took over her Aunt's tea/bookshop. Things have settled down after the dramatic events of book 1. Her employee points out there's an estate sale where Phoebe can buy a load second hand books to sell. It sounds like a good idea until there's a stowaway cat and a murder to deal with.

I'm not sure this could be read as a standalone book - you need the context of the magic/teas etc. as I think it probably makes no sense without the history.

The magic has been upped in this book, but it's still very minimal for a book that's being sold as witchy. Honey does more intentional magic in this than Phoebe does. The lack of magic is explained (eventually, somewhere around chapter 29) but it doesn't quite feel real for a magical book.

The romance is still an incredibly slow burn (there's some vague flirting) so don't read this for the romance!

I was fully engrossed in the murder mystery - it's still a Hallmark type/Garage Sale Mysteries murder. If you're paying attention, you can probably figure out the murderer but I still ended up surprised.

I hope this isn't the end of the series - the romance hasn't happened, there's clearly a new love interest being teased with the new shop owner (although 3 love interests feels a bit much). I'd love more of the story - with more magic and some actual romance please! And I love Bob - I feel like he did more magic than Phoebe as well!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4⭐️

Read if you are looking for:

💛 Cosy mystery with a bit of romance,
💛 Sweet and lovable characters,
💛 Witchy vibes,
💛 Small town setting.

It is a second book in a series but it can be read as a standalone. Gretchen Rue can create perfect cosy small town vibes and characters that you want to make friends with.
Phoebe, MFC, once again tries to solve a murder mystery in order to clear her name as it is her to find a dead body at estate auction. Once again, it is Rich to give her a hand in their privite investigation.

I loved first book and I really liked this one, however I was hoping that a plot regarding Phoebe and Rich relationship would be more developed. I am counting on coming back to Raven Creek to witness more of Phoebe's magic and finally I want Phoebe and Rich end up together.

Thanks to @headofzeus, @sierradeanauthor and @netgalley for giving me a chance to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved this book! It had everything I love all in one - a murder mystery, with a hint of romance, and a hint of magic. What more could you ask for?!

Phoebe was a brilliant main character, and now that I know there’s a previous book in this series, I will definitely be going back to read it to get to know her character more.

The story progressed in such a brilliant way, and I love when a book doesn’t make it obvious how it’s going to end and how the mystery will unfold, so I loved being surprised!

Bob was adorable. I will never not become obsessed with a cat in a book. I absolutely loved his friendship with Norman, and that Norman ended up adopting his own cat in the end (Frodo - how cute)!

Another bonus was the list of recipes in the back of the book! Details like this always make a book more special and feel more personal, and I love it!