This book was a swing and a miss for me.

I will start with saying any book with animal companions and a witchy vibe are going to find an audience quickly and easily.

However, this is not a cozy read in my opinion. Edward's writing style is extremely simplistic and redundant. There is an awful lot of telling and no showing. On top of that there was many times the use of language for Thorn's character, especially in the beginning in the book, took me out of the story to raise an eyebrow.

Originally I went in to this book excited. I read the synopsis and thought, "A cozy, witchy book where she gets thrown into the future by a magic mishap? Count me in!" After reading the book, I'm just left a little baffled and sad. I think the book could have greatly improved from a bit more continuity checks and maybe some more editing.

The absolute fixation on Thorn's age (I mean can you believe she is 39) gets really annoying, really fast. I got to the point where I started wondering if I should have counted or started a game of it. There is also really no elaboration on environments, descriptions of people are very minimal, and while there are large swaths of internal thoughts (one such introspection lasted three pages while she was riding a broom) they are very unimportant to the story.

There was portions of magic and potions that get referenced that I would have enjoyed more elaboration on but it doesn't come. Cozy does not mean the readers are just told things in simple terms. Cozy usually means a heavy focus on the vibes of the story. Descriptions of the potion making like the smell, the look of the potions, a look through the ingredients needed and so on. There are usually portions of describing a home or the build up of a relationship whether it be romantic or found family. I felt very little connection to any of the characters at the end.

I think there are definitely readers for the book somewhere, but I think this may be more of a palate cleanser than anything else. This is the kind of book you pick up to get over a book slump or hangover, quickly forget about it, and then move on.

I just finished reading An Ancient Witch's Guide to Modern Dating by CeciliaEdward, and I absolutely loved it!

The story follows a witch, Thorn Scarhart, from the 17th century who, while brewing her Forever True Love potion, experiences a magical mishap that transports her—along with her cat familiar and a frog—300 years into the future. Now, in the 21st century, she must adapt to all the changes, from new inventions to modern technology. Determined to perfect her potion and find a husband before she turns 40, she dives into the world of modern online dating.

As she navigates this unfamiliar era, she falls in love with a kind veterinarian, Walls, and begins to uncover painful secrets she’s buried since childhood.

I absolutely adored the writing style—it was engaging, witty, and charming. I was hooked from the first page and couldn’t put it down, eager to see what would happen next. The setting was cozy and magical, from the enchanted forest cottage to the quaint town park. I also loved all the side characters and, of course, the animals (especially the cats). The cats could communicate with the witch, and each had their own unique personality, which added so much charm and humor to the story.

This was such a fun and heartwarming read. 5 stars—I highly recommend it!

Many thanks to the author, Cecilia Edward, Saga Press, and NetGalley for the ARC!

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was such a delight! It hooked me and held on through the last word! Such a cozy, sweet read! It was so good I didn’t want it to end, but I was so excited to see what happened next! I hope we’ll see more like this from Edward!

This funny story really had such a deep underlying level of women getting older and feeling lonely that really resonated with me.

I absolutely LOVED that the FMC was older. By older I mean 39 and even that is not old but so many fantasy books MCs are barely 20 so it was amazing to have older than that FMC. The struggles of modern society and women getting older with the humor in this book was right what I needed.

Recommended to any cozy fantasy readers that could feel connected to FMC that’s 39 years old.

Let's talk about "An Ancient Witch's Guide to Modern Dating" by Cecilia Edward.

Have you ever been seen before? Like truly seen?

We are introduced to Thorn Scarhart, a seventeenth century witch who just has the worst luck when it comes to love. She's thirty-nine going on sixty, who is still single and by the standard of the times, is out of luck in ever finding love. It would seem even though she's trying her best to make the most amazing love potions, they backfire on her and she is truly - set out to pasture.

That is until a potion backfires and she finds herself in the twenty-first century, where even her age is no longer considered ancient, the chance to remake yourself is at your fingertips, and there are plenty of men willing and waiting to date. Online dating that is! With banter aplenty from a familiar that puts us to shame, magical potions that have us cackling, and a sweet than thou golden retriever, Thorn tends to keep us (the reader) eating up the pages.

This book was such a fun and whimsical read and defiantly is a joy! It brings to light that as you get older, you cannot take yourself so seriously, and you need to really look inside to see how one can love oneself before finding true love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the privilege to read and give my honest feedback.

✨ Cozy Fantasy
✨ Familiars
✨ Found Family
✨ Time Travel
✨ Magic

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🫑
Series: Standalone

An Ancient Witch's Guide to Modern Dating is, without a doubt, a romp. It's so fun and funny, and served as the perfect palette cleanser between heavier reads.
This book doesn't take itself too seriously, which works perfectly for it. It had a very cinematic setup that helped make it a quick read. The story didn't have any lull, which made for a very enjoyable read.
Don't be fooled by all the fun, though. There's excellent character development and relatable emotions.
Overall, this was a great read. I'd suggest it for fans of early 2000s rom coms, as it had a similar vibe.

Thank you to Saga Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

If you’re looking for your next cozy fantasy read, look no further. Perfect for fans of “The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches” by Sangu Mandanna.

Thorn Scarhart is a 39-year-old witch who’s looking for love in the 17th century. In a desperate attempt to find a husband, one of her love potions backfires, sending her 350 years into the future.

Thrust into the bewildering world of the 21st century, where her cottage is now a historical museum, Thorn navigates modern life with the help of the museum's curator and her charming veterinarian brother. Thorn resumes her search for love in the modern century, hilariously tackling the thrills and perils of online dating, and manages to find herself along the way.

Thorn was incredibly entertaining and had some of the funniest one-liners I’ve read. I also loooooved the animal familiars and the cast of side characters we were introduced to. Even though this is a witchy read, it would be fun to read year-round!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Rounded up to four!

What a breath of fresh air it was to go from mostly reading about younger female main characters to an older one. Apparently, I need to seek more of these out, I really loved it.

Thorn Scarhart is a 39 year old spinster witch in the 17th century. She’s been working on and is determined to create a forever love potion. But when it goes terribly wrong, Thorn ends up time traveling to the 21st century where she discovers online dating to try and find her future husband.

Thorns mishaps while dating were hilarious. Poor woman! I loved her growth!
Walls, oh Walls! Walls is such a sweetheart! The story had me all giggly! A nice cozy and fun read. Definitely a good time.

What made me love this even more was Thorn’s fluffy, always hungry, white cat familiar, Bandit, because who doesn’t love a sarcastic kitty?

Thank you to the Author Cecilia Edward, the publishers, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader ebook copy of An Ancient Witch’s Guide to Modern Dating in exchange for my review.

Bridget Jones with a witchy time-travel twist! This book delivers exactly what it says in title. It's one ancient witch's (Thorn Scarheart) cozy quest for true love when she accidentally brews a time-travel potion and must navigate the modern dating scene. I was just as confused as she was. I feel your pain, Thorn!

First, she has to blend in, thank goodness her historic cozy cabin is still existing as a tourist attraction in modern times. She quickly makes a deal to be a reenactor and "play" a witch in exchange for room & board and a portion of the profits. Next challenge, to keep her beloved familiar and hilarious kitty companion Bandit out of trouble with the modern felines. Oh and there's the maiden she'd turned into a frog in her time and stowed in her pocket - oh she'll be alright in a few months. Finally, she has to find the right man or ANY man who will marry her and solve the mystery of who's raven familiar is stalking her.

As Thorn unravels the traumatic mysteries of her childhood and her mother and sister's motives, she let's down her emotional walls and finds friends, makes terribly dating choices, and meets a very dishy veterinarian who likes her just as she is - no potions needed. Soon she discovers she's been lovable all along.

This was a super cute, comical and heart-warming read. It's full of kitschy witchy-ness, fun and adventure. A great quick weekend read to escape to.

I really liked the idea of this story but was not thrilled with the execution. The ageism was a lot in this book and felt completely unnecessary. It seemed like Thorn's age was mentioned in every chapter with complaints about how old 39 is and how she has to find love before 40 because of some arbitrary idea that no one will love her if she is 40 and single. I probably would have been okay with the story if there was some curse or spell that required her to find love before a certain age, but the age thing was all self-imposed for absolutely no reason.

Walls is okay as the MMC in how supportive he is, but we learn nothing about him other than he is Meg's brother, he is a vet, and he has a dog and a cat. I didn't really feel attached to his character because I know nothing about him. We also learn absolutely nothing about (redacted for spoilers) which means the end made no sense. The final conflict felt so anticlimactic because it was never really explained in the first place. I would've preferred the author to pick a storyline between the dating or the cats losing their extra lives, not trying to do both.

Honestly, I probably would have DNF if it weren't for the cats. Bandit was so sassy and dry and I loved his interactions with Thorn and Walls. I could read an entire book of just Thorn talking to various cats because it was so entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC.

✨️ An Ancient Witch's Guide to Modern Dating ✨️

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished: 03/11/25


When Thorn, a witch looking for love from the 17th Century, is taken to the 21st Century by a spell gone wrong. Now spends her time on dating apps and being the new cranky witch during tourist visits to her cottage.

But when cats keep getting sick with no reason at all, Thorn starts to help Walls a local veterinarian to see if anybody is magically making them ill.

This book is filled with Thorn being silly, trying to figure out how everything in the 21st Century works when finding love as a middle aged woman as well as everything else. She has some great support with Walls and Meg, I really enjoyed their friendships and being pretty open to Thorn being a witch in her situation.

I was nervous about Thorn and her using love spells and others to try and make her more pleasing to them. I wasn't sure if this book would end on a good note for me but Thorn does have some excellent growth character wise.

A definite read for the my rom com friends who love their FMC's getting into sticky situations and a witch who has a cheeky cat as their familiar.

Okay, I totally fell for the premise of this book right away! A 39-year-old witch from the 1600s accidentally time-travels to our world while trying to brew a love potion? Yes please!

Thorn Scarhart is such a fun character to follow as she stumbles through modern life. I couldn't stop grinning at her reactions to things we take for granted - her first encounter with an electric kettle had me laughing out loud. There's something so relatable about watching someone navigate dating apps and awkward first dates, even when that someone happens to be a centuries-old witch.

The relationship between Thorn and her cat companion adds so much charm to the story. Their banter provides some of the best moments, and I found myself looking forward to their interactions. And can we talk about the museum curator and his vet brother? The way their relationships with Thorn develop feels genuine and sweet without being overly predictable.

What surprised me most was how the book balanced humor with some really touching moments about finding where you belong. Thorn's journey to uncover family secrets while building new connections in the modern world hit me right in the feels a few times. The magic system isn't overly complicated, which I appreciated. Edward focuses more on the characters and their relationships than getting bogged down in intricate magical rules. The potion-making scenes are vivid enough that I almost wanted to try brewing something myself (minus the accidental time travel, of course).

This book is perfect for curling up with on a chilly evening when you want something cozy that'll make you smile. If you're into witchy romances with heart and humor, definitely give this one a shot!

A cozy romance about a 39 year old witch that will do anything to find her one true love. Thorn Scarhart lives in a small cottage where she concocts potions and sells them to people in a nearby village. While she yearns for a man to marry, all the men in the seventeenth century find her unattractive.

Thorn is making a cauldron of True Love potion to slip into the drink of her next date when something goes terribly wrong. Instead of perfecting the potion, she has traveled forward in time. Her little cottage that was once secluded in the woods is now a tourist attraction in the twenty first century! How will she survive in this century and will she ever return home? You’ll have to read and find out.

I devoured this book in a day! I felt like I was reading a fairytale, but in a real world setting with hilarious characters. I’ve never had so much fun reading a book! I laughed, I cringed, I screamed, and I laughed some more because the characters were wild and so damn entertaining.

Thorn Scarhart will forever be my spirit animal and I already miss Bandit, Pepper, Pumpkin, and even Noodle. Remember “it’s not true love if it comes from a cauldron.”

Whimsical, witty, and full of heart, An Ancient Witch’s Guide to Modern Dating is a cozy time-travel rom-com with magical charm. Thorn is a lovable, fish-out-of-water heroine navigating 21st-century dating with potions, awkward dates, and surprising sweetness. The blend of humor, heartache, and enchantment makes for a fun, feel-good read, perfect for fans of The Ex Hex and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. A little predictable, but irresistibly charming.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was 3.5 stars for me!

I had a great time reading this book, it was exactly what I was hoping it would be!

This story was lighthearted and fun to read. You could tell the story was made with love by the author. The interpersonal relationships were sweet and realistic for the most part. I enjoyed both of the MCs and the cats!! Loved the cats and the mention of the cosmic cat distribution system. The story is everything it said it would be. I’m a huge fan of cozy fantasy stories and this one was on par with others I have read.

Towards the end the pacing was a little slow. Some of the dialogue/conversations felt rushed or awkward. I think if you suspend disbelief in how much people would believe or be okay with a woman appearing and claiming she was from a different century, then you can float through the story just fine; The other characters acceptance was just a little quick for me, personally.

The resolution to the story was very sweet, and i would definitely read another book by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Saga Press Books for letting me read this charming ARC e-copy!!

Oh how I loved this book! Thorn is looking for love and hoping a love potion can help but when the position backfires and send her to the 21st century, she finds herself with a new set of challenges.

I truly enjoyed the story and Thorns development. The side characters were also fun to follow but I do wish we had gotten a little bit more of Walls back story. I will definitely read more books by Cecilia!

3.5 rounded to 3

I wish there had been a bit more focus on Wells and Thorn's relationship actually developing and I didn't enjoy that Rose literally tried to kill Thorn and then wanted to kill Thorne's true love and Thorne just becomes friends with her at the end? But Thorne as a character was hilarious and I loved seeing her and Bandit adapt to modern living.

Thank you to Saga Press, Cecilia Edward, and NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My, my. This low-stakes witchy rom-com was exactly the thing I needed right now. I honestly feel like a part of me has healed after I finished reading.

Thorn Scarhart is a thirty-nine-year-old Witch from the 17th century struggling to find love. Considered an uneligible spinster in her town, Thorn turns to magic to try and create a True Love Forever Potion to help influence the next man to fall in love with her.

However, after an accident while brewing her new and improved potion, Thorn, her familiar in the form of a fluffy white cat, Bandit, is thrust into the 21st century. Thorn quickly has to adjust to modern life, complete with electric kettles, historical tours of her private home, and online dating.

I absolutely loved every second of this book. It was so cozy, quirky, whimsical, and side-splittingly hilarious. I lost count of how many times I laughed OUT LOUD while reading this book. It was like a breath of fresh air.

The characters were the BEST part of the story. I related to Thorn on such a deep and personal level that I almost felt like the author was singling me out!😅 She is the perfect blend of ignorance of the modern world around her and child-like wonder.

Walls is also the best MMC and love interest. Everything about him was absolutely perfect to his job as a vet and his kind, caring, and sweet personality. I haven't had a book boyfriend in a while, but I definitely felt those feelings strong with Walls.

And, omg, don't even get me started on Bandit! He stole the show for me. When I tell you I need this cat in my life, it isn't an exaggeration. I died laughing at half the things he said, especially when he picked up modern slang.

I cannot stress enough how amazing this book is. I could probably go on forever about it. This definitely deserves 4.75⭐️ (rounded up to 5)!

If you enjoy rom-coms, magic & witches, talking cats planning world domination, the best-friend's brother trope, soulmates, and time travel, then this cozy cottagecore story is just for you.

this was surprisingly pleasant and lovely! I was a bit hesitant at first because the first 30% felt a bit slow and I’m new to cozy fantasy type stories but I found that the story really grew on me fast, I especially loved the talking cats and they kept me tethered at the story at points I might’ve otherwise gotten bored with the pacing, and though I felt like Walls was a bit too detached from the plot for my liking, I still really loved the journey both Thorn & Walls shared! It was a lovely little magical tale that made my heart happy and was funnier than I expected.

I would absolutely read another story from this author, even another cozy fantasy like this one!

thank you so much to netgalley and saga press for this arc to review! 💗