This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

With the autumn season heading this way, I forgot how much I enjoy magic and witches. I always love found families, finding yourself, and an uplifting win.

Belle has been doubting herself, not sure if she can take over running Lunar Books when her boss/owner retires. So the boss decides to give her son a shot at running it. Now Belle has to do all the work and fight him to do what needs to happen.

At the same time, she discovers as she reaches her 30th birthday, she must go to the coven for a ceremony to keep her magic. Plus she has recently lost her beloved grandmother. When the ceremony goes badly, she has a month to prove she should be a witch. She's given a mentor and a watchmen.

The mentor has a questionable past but she connects with him quickly. He's a kind old man who works hard to help her. The watchmen stirs her attraction which is annoying since it feels like he sees her failing all the time. Belle works all day at the bookstore, all night at the mentoring, and is exhausted. Her roommate and best friend is mad at her for shutting her out, working all the time.

But with the overwhelming support of co-workers, roommate, family and friends, including her mentor and watchmen, Belle starts to believe in herself and finally makes choices in her life with confidence. I really enjoyed this character development journey with magic, evil authority, found family and a slow burn romance. Rewitched went from despairing to inspiring, and it was a hard fought win.

On her thirtieth birthday, Belle Blackthorne receives a summons from her coven and faces a trial that tests her capabilities as a witch. After said trial goes disastrously, she has one month to find a mentor, train, complete magical tasks, evade a nefarious force that's trying to sabotage her, and change her coven's minds. Sounds simple, right?

(Spoiler alert: it isn't.)

I appreciated the cozy witch vibe of this. In fact, that's what drew me to the book initially. I love me some autumnal whimsy this time of the year and this fit the bill in that regard; however, I couldn't connect to either the characters or the plot. The magical trials Belle had to face seemed to blur together, the mentor portions fell flat, plus the romance left much to be desired. I'm sure other readers may find much to love about this one, but it wasn't for me.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

Cozy witch fiction! This was a fun read, if not a tad frustrating. Belle and Ari are great characters, though I could have done without Rune's broody protective romance thing - I think he could have just been a great protector and friend, not sure why this stuff always needs goopy romance, but thankfully it felt more like an afterthought than much else. It felt like "Hocus Pocus" but veiled in a Harry Potter type magical challenge and leaving adolescence (even though Belle is turning 30). Fun, cozy, witchy, best friends, magic, cats -- what's not to like?

This was such a a fun and cozy read. I loved the vibe for fall.

Witches
Murder
Magic Trials
Bookstore
A lovely old fella
Evil
A touch of romance
Friendship

So much. I just loved it. Belle, Ari, Arty, and Rune. Loved the characters and how the story unfolded.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ace for my complimentary eARC of Rewitched. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book !! It is pure witch perfection.
It has all of my favorites:
Witches
Warlocks
Covens
Secrets
Magical Deadline
Mystery
Romance
They all come together to form the perfect fall read.

I cannot pick a favorite character.
Belle, Rune, Bonnie, Ariadne, and Artorius make a great found family. I really liked how their stories all weaved together.

As soon as we met Bell I was rooting for her. I wanted her to prove she deserved her magic, and I really wanted her to take over the bookshop, and maybe throw a hex or two Christopher's way. (you'll see why as soon as you meet him)

Throughout the whole story, I loved Bell, her relationships with her mother and best friend, and how much she loved the bookshop. Some of the other parts fell a bit flat for me. It did take a bit for me to feel like the story was getting started, and I didn't really feel that much chemistry between Rune and Belle. However Belle and her bestie were amazing, I loved the magic, and the story overall was charming, If this were to be a series I would definitely read a sequel.

Rewitched is the story of a witch who’s forced to prove her powers or have them stripped away. Lucy Jane Wood creates a woman’s journey in a world of witches, warlocks, mystery, and good and evil that at times feels magical.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Belladonna “Belle” Blackthorn is about to turn 30 when she receives a summons from the Selcouth coven, saying that it’s time to test her witchy skills. But Belle hasn’t been doing much magic lately; she’s just trying to stay afloat in London while working at a beloved bookstore for a horrid boss and living with her BFF. But the hottie coven watchman Rune Dunstan arrives to make sure she actually shows up for her test. After a few more plot points, Belle finds herself being mentored by a disgraced warlock in order to perform six challenges so she can keep her magic. And all in one month. No problem, right?

This story was a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the characters, and once the plot hit its stride, it was entertaining. But the book felt too long, and the world building takes a while to take off. If I hadn’t been ARC reading, I might have given up early on, but I’m glad I stuck with it. The plot picks up once the witches truly arrive, and second half of the book moves at a much better pace.

There is a romance subplot, but this book is Belle’s journey. It’s not a spoiler to say she learns to believe in herself and her magic. I found the secondary characters charming, too. I really like Rune, and wish there was a bit more romance in this story. But, that’s just my personal preference, not a flaw in the book.

If you are looking for a witchy read this fall, Rewitched fits the bill. It has mystery and romance, along with lots of elaborate world building. I’m glad I tried a new author, and I’m interested to see what Lucy Jane Wood writes next.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood is a standalone novel revolving around witches. Belladonna Blackthorn, loves her job at Lunar Books, even though her boss is very toxic to work for. Belle hides her ability as a witch from her friends and other workers, though her mother is also a witch. On her 30th birthday, Belle is summoned by her coven for a trial that could strip her of her magic; though she has not done much with her magic lately. She risks losing her magic forever; and must prove herself worthy of the magic she possesses.

With the month of October (Halloween), to fix things, Belle will find help from some wonderful secondary characters; an older retired mentor, Arty, who will train her; her mother, Bonnie; and Rune, a charming watchman, who is sworn to protect her; as well as her bff, Ariadne, who will eventually learn about Belle being a witch.

The story follows Belle, as she learns to come into her magic and herself more. Arty turned into a wonderful (elder) who was always helpful working with Belle, and teaching her how to build up her magic. I love Rune, who was determined to be the protector, while at the same time, found himself falling for Belle. Both Belle’s mother, as well as her friend, Ariadne were great. I also got a kick out Jinx, Belle’s cat.
The two sister witches with one determined to have Belle’s magic removed, but the other sister turns out even worse later on. Things got difficult when the evil begins to bring the coven down, and Belle will have to bring her magic forward to save everyone. The last third of the book was extremely exciting, with Belle’s powers rising to stop the evil sisters.

Rewitched was a wonderful, heartwarming, paranormal story, though a bit slow early on. It is a story of healing, building self-confidence, accepting their ability and learning to love. Rewitched was very well written by Lucy Jane Wood, as this was a cozy fantasy that was wonderful tale of family and slow-burn romance. The end was very exciting, with a magical and fantastic read.

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this while it was available on Read Now. Review to come!

It’s cute! It very much feels like a Hallmark movie of feminine fantasy. I admit I’ll probably never be recommending this one to a guy but that’s just fine. I’ve read other fantasies that I’d really only recommend to guys looking for a manly sort of fantasy with plenty of blood, sweat and death so…. There’s a place and a reader for any good quality book! If she weren’t a witch it’d feel like the fiction that’s “chick lit” I think. Not that I’ve read chick lit…. When I branch out from science fiction and fantasy I read cozy mysteries and graphic novels…. But all the same this one felt like a fantasy chick lit to me.

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood because of the covers (the US and UK versions are equally adorable, but as usual, I prefer the UK cover). I’m not always fortunate with enjoying new releases of which I don’t know much about but with Rewitched, I was fortunate.
As I seem to gravitate toward cozy fantasy more and more, I loved this adorable book. The stakes were actually bit higher than I expected but the inclusion of an older, grandfather-type character and a cozy bookshop setting helped balance out the intensity.

More information is located HERE: www.wilsonhillworks.com/reviews/rewitched

I can’t ever remember purchasing a debut novel that I’ve requested as an arc before Rewitched but I am eagerly anticipating its arrival to take a coveted spot on my shelves after it releases tomorrow.

Thank you to Lucy Jane Wood, Berkley Publishing Group | Ace, and Netgalley for the arc.

A super cozy magical read about a thirty year old witch who finds her life turned upside down when she is summoned to trial for her thirtieth birthday in order to see if she is worthy to be a witch and keep her magic. Belladonna "Belle" Blackthorn is a witch who doesn't really use her magic all that much. She spends her time working at her favorite bookstore and hiding her magic... and she's burnt out. With her 30th birthday coming up she is suddenly surprised by a handsome stranger who tells her that she's been summoned by her coven for a trial that could take away her magic for good if she fails. With only one month to get things right and evil forces out to sabotage her, Belle and her friends will have to find a way to succeed. This book was a super cozy and warm read, it was disney channel levels of sweetness (except the romance was essentially PG and barely even there). Its a light read and honestly could be a middlegrade book with how it felt. The pacing felt a bit off to me, it was never really moving all that much and you neber really find yourself fully into the book however it's a nice light hearted read and a cozy one for anyone looking for something simple and low stakes to read during the autumn.

Release Date: September 17,2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Rewitched is the perfect cozy sweet book for spooky season. It is so well written and captivating. An impressive debut that really shows that Lucy Jane Wood is going to be one to watch!

If you love witchy books with a good dose of romance and fantastic feel good vibes, this one is for you!

This was such a fun read—a really special take on a witch story. Belle is on the brink of losing all her powers unless she can prove herself worthy. Although the beginning felt a bit slow, the ending was absolutely worth it.

‘we are way past rational and straight into delusional levels of blind revenge.’

This was a very satisfying read. A bit slow in the beginning to be truthful but the payoff in the end was well worth it! Her own doubts are very relatable and for all of the answers she’s been looking for were right in front of her all along: family and friends. I only wish Christopher had gotten a little magical comeuppance over a broken nose...

Rewitched is bursting with those cozy fall vibes.

I adore a great fall witchy romance. I really enjoyed the cozy fall vibes this book was giving off. It made me want to curl underneath a blanket and spend the afternoon reading. Lucy's witchy world was interesting, and I loved exploring this magical world with Bella. Lucy did a great job at putting her own unique spin on contemporary witchy romances.

The story starts slow, which I didn't mind. As a bookworm who loves fantasy novels, I completely understand that there is a certain amount of passing of essential information to readers with a connection to world-building and how the whole magical system works in a book. Did I wish that maybe more conversations or movement had occurred during the first bit of the book? Yes, but I understand it's hard to balance moving the story forward and giving your readers the information they need to understand what is happening. The second half of this book moves much faster, and the last bit will put you on the edge of your seat. Lucy also sets readers up for future books, which I will definitely read.

One of the things that I had a hard time connecting with was Bella. There was part of me who loved her character. She is relatable and feels real. You cannot help but like her, and I found myself rooting for her in the book's second half. But I didn't instantly like her character; I struggled with her unwillingness to take over as the owner of Lunar Books. Her reasoning for not wanting to be the owner didn't make sense in my mind, and the fact that she was willing to let her boss's son ruin this bookshop that clearly means so much to Bella drove me up the wall. Part of me understands that part of her character growth is finding confidence in herself and her abilities, but it was so obvious that she was more than capable of running the store that her not believing that she could just didn't make sense.

This witchy story is definitely light on the romance side. I like Rune right from the moment he graced us with his presence. I really wish there were more Rune in this story and more moments between Rune and Bella. Now, if this book is meant to be a part of a series, then that could explain why the romantic relationship between Rune and Bella hadn't progressed as much as I wished it would have. Lol, maybe I just need to be a bit more patient. As they say, good things come to those who wait.

Rewitched is a great fall witchy read, and I am excited to see what direction Lucy will take this series in next.

🧙 Book Review 🧙

Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood
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This book wasn’t what I was expecting. First of all, it took way too long to get into. 55% of the way through, and I wasn’t hooked yet. Secondly, this was the book equivalent of a Disney Channel Original movie. It was sickly sweet, a little cheesy, and was all about friendship and discovering your true self. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not my cup of tea. It was fine, but I needed more of everything, especially romance.
🧙
My rating: ⭐️⭐️✨
Spice level: 🌶️
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Read if you like:
▫️witches
▫️earned powers
▫️urban fantasy
▫️found family
▫️self discovery journey
🧙
Thank you to Ace Books, Berkley, NetGalley, and Lucy Jane Wood for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I love anything witch.
Belle loves Luna Bookstore, love the name by the way, but she’s lost her magic.
I loved the interaction between the characters and all things magic.
This is a great choice for the forthcoming haunting season.

3.5⭐ This was a great witchy debut! It was heartwarming, cozy, entertaining , and gave me all the fall vibes! Belle is a witch that hasn't seen her magic in awhile. She's working at a bookstore and her boss is a miserable toxic mess. She is summoned by her coven on her 30th birthday to see if she is still worthy of magic. I would say that this is a slow burn, but the mystery held my interest. I love the found family trope in this one, but the romance part wasn't my favorite. I didn't really feel the connection too much. But overall, it's a charming fantasy that'll put you in the mood for fall!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

"In this spellbinding warm and cozy debut novel, a burned-out witch will need to turn to her friends and trust in herself to find the magic in her own life again.

Belladonna Blackthorn hasn't lost her magical spark, precisely...but she hasn't seen it in a while either.

With her witchcraft under wraps and a toxic boss making her days miserable, Belle is struggling to keep her beloved Lunar Books afloat and just make it through the day. The last thing she has time for is perfecting her magic.

So when her thirtieth birthday brings a summons from her coven and a trial that tests her worthiness as a witch, Belle fears the worst. With only the month of October left to prove herself or risk losing her magic forever, Belle will need all the help she can get - from the women in her life, from an unlikely mentor figure and even from an infuriating coven watchman who's sworn to protect her..."

I swear, if I could move into the cover of a book it would be this one.