A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford is such a cozy feel good fantasy! I loved the magic (both fake and real) and how the characters grew together as they discovered more about each other and themselves. Willow is a dynamic MC. I love her personality and how hard she works for what she believes in. This book has everything you can want in a cozy fantasy. It's a Must read for me!

A Curious Kind of Magic tells the story of a young girl left behind to run a fraudulent magical shoppe after her father’s death. She meets a curious girl, Brianna, who can turn the fake items in Willow’s shoppe into the real deal.

They work together to save each other. Willow will be able to keep her father’s shoppe alive and Brianna will be able to break her curse. Until they are sent on a quest where they discover more about themselves than they realized was possible.

I rated this story four stars for the pacing and kind of misleading bit in the description. The quest doesn’t come up until about 60%+ of the way through. The plot they uncover isn’t helping the story progress. Rather it helps with character development at the end.

Otherwise, a very whimsical and cozy story to read! Releasing in October of 2025, the perfect time to pick this story up!

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Cozy fantasy is always a hit or miss for me and I’m still not really able to predict which ones I’ll love but the premise of this one sounded so good that I had to give it a shot. Unfortunately it just ended up being okay for me.

I do think this will be widely loved, I just struggle with this particular subgenre at times.

Mara Rutherford is so underrated! Why aren’t more people talking about her books??? I’ve read them all at this point and loved them.

While I’m not the biggest fan of cozy fantasy overall, I knew that Mara Rutherford would spin a great tale so I requested this one on NetGalley.

It was so good!

I love jackalopes and imagine my excitement when one appeared in the story! (Technically it’s a wolpertinger, but a jackalope is basically the American version of that.)

I loved the beautiful friendship that develops between Willow and Brianna. They are both skeptical of each other at first and I liked seeing them learn to trust each other. Willow in particular has always been an outcast so it was nice to see her hard edges soften as the book progressed. The romance was very subtle, I think because the friendship between the characters was the main focus. I loved that.

And — it’s a standalone fantasy! Those are so unique and I always appreciate when an author doesn’t drag out a storyline (though I certainly wouldn’t mind spending more time with these characters).

Definitely pick this book up when it releases next month. It was a sweet story with a lot of fun characters — and there’s a jackalope!!!

I eagerly awaited Rutherford’s next release and it did not disappoint! A Curious Kind of Magic is cozy, enchanting, and full of heartwarming moments.

I absolutely adored Willow, Brianna, and Finlay! They perfectly embody the grumpy, sunshine, and golden retriever tropes. Their growing friendship was a key plot point, and it was moving to see how much they cared for one another.

Rutherford is a master at character development. I really appreciated her care in portraying Willow’s grief. She has a lot of complex emotions that she turns inward, causing her to have a rough and impenetrable exterior. Rutherford movingly captures Willow’s self-loathing for herself and conveys how this affects all aspects of her relationships with others. I think a lot of readers will see pieces of Willow in themselves. Her character development throughout the story is brilliantly done, and you can’t help but root for her!

This story is perfect for readers looking for a story full adventure, magical objects, dangerous heists, and characters you’re bound to love. I adored everything about this story - the perfect fall read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I think that cozy fantasy may not be my cup of tea. The premise sounded so good. I knew exactly what I was getting into. However, I learned quickly that soft and gentle fantasy is not for me. Give me an epic scale and I will be happy. This is a (rare for me) DNF. I firmly believe that I am in the minority regarding this book, as most of the things I have seen about it are overwhelmingly positive. This just happened to not be the curious kind of magic I was looking for.

IWillow is desperate to hold onto the last piece she has of her late father, his magical items shoppe. Unfortunately, most of the items in his shoppe possess little magic. But, most isn’t all. When a girl named Brianna comes to town with the ability to awaken the items in her shoppe, Willow knows this could be her chance to turn her life around.

A Curious Kind of Magic didn’t end up being what I was hoping for. The cover is really cute and the premise sounded interesting, however there wasn’t enough character development or world building for me. I didn’t like the main character at all and didn’t get enough backstory to understand why she was so abrasive.

What a wonderful cozy fantasy! I adored the characters and had such a great time reading this. The magical curiosity shop mixed with the magical abilities made for a charming read!

Book: A Curious Kind of Magic
Author: Mara Rutherford
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Wednesday Books, for sending me an ARC. Mara Rutherford is becoming one of my favourite authors. She writes young adult fantasy books that feel like a fairytale and transport you into her worlds. I love how she has this way of taking us out of our world and into the world of the characters in so few words. Her books are not very long, but there is so much packed into them. I have yet to read a book by her that I did not enjoy.

In this one, we follow Willow, who is rather down on her luck. In the town of Ardmuir, everyone knows Willow Stokes is no real magician, including Willow herself. Her father’s curiosity shop has long since lost its spark, surviving on faux charms like dragon’s teeth, gilded trinkets, and stuffed creatures passed off as magical. Everything changes when Brianna Hargrave, a mysterious newcomer, arrives and somehow makes Willow’s fakes come alive with true magic. Willow is eager to draw her into the business, although Brianna wants nothing to do with her schemes. She carries a dangerous secret: everything she touches becomes magic, and it has left her hunted. Her only goal is to find a lost grimoire that might free her from the curse. Willow strikes a bargain to save both the shop and Brianna’s future, and together with a sharp-tongued printer’s assistant, they stumble into a conspiracy far bigger than they expected. When Willow is drawn into a deadly quest for the rarest magical artefact in the world, she learns that not every treasure is meant to be claimed and that the most powerful magic might be the kind she never believed in.

This book feels like a fairytale. We are transported into this town where our main character, Willow, is a bit of an outcast. Her father has died, and she must take care of his shop. However, her father is known for being a bit of a scammer. Bri moves into town and stops by the shop. Then, things that have never displayed any magical powers start to come to life. The two team up, along with Willow’s friend Finley, to revive the shop. Things go from there. I know this doesn’t sound like anything new, and it’s not. However, the way that Mara presents everything makes it easy to fall into the world. I love a simple setting that grows. It makes it really easy to get lost in the world.

Plus, I thought all of the characters were relatable. Yes, I know they are in a magical world, but there is something about them that makes it easy to fall into their daily activities. We have Willow, who has lost her father and is alone in the world. She is struggling to hold on and keeps telling herself that she is doing fine, but she’s not. She also doesn’t see how strong she is. We have Bri, who is cursed, and no one wants her. She can’t even touch anyone for fear that she will give them some kind of unwanted power. Everything she does is to win over her parents. Finley is taking care of his sick mother and doing everything he can to make sure that there is food on the table. All of them have their difficulties, but they manage to find each other. They will all do anything and everything for each other. Their bonds of friendship and, in some cases, a bit more are what make everything come home.

We also have a quest too, which I did enjoy. I enjoyed seeing all of the moving parts come together. Yes, it is rather quick, but it works for the story. When it comes to the quest aspect of the book, you do have to remember that this is a rather short fantasy book, and it is a young adult book. Now, this does not mean that it is not well developed, but you do have to remember the target age group.

Overall, I did enjoy this book a lot. If you are looking for a fantasy that feels like a fairytale, then I highly encourage you to give this one a go.

This book comes out on October 21, 2025.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/gjRwNNJ4dSE

I absolutely loved this book!! Such a cozy fantasy with just enough action to keep me interested throughout the entire book. I did enjoy that we got right into things happening with the book, the beginning or backstory weren’t drug out. It was nice to be hooked right from the start. I also like when a book has mentions of the title so it was fun to “curious magic” throughout the book.
There were a lot of moments where I was wanting to yell at Willow and ask her what she doing!?! But her friends were amazing and seeing things come to light about Willow at the end and magic was so good!
So happy that is the first ARC I’ve ever read!

I will also be sharing a YouTube video with my thoughts soon too!!

I enjoyed this magical story from Mara Rutherford. From the first page, you can't help but cheer on Willow! Her father's reputation has impacted her own, and after he dies and she takes over his store, she's determined to keep it running ... even if she can't quite figure out what she'll do to make the money for rent.

Enter Brianna - Brianna was an interesting character to me. She had quite the tragic backstory, and as I turned the pages, it was easy to see why she and Willow gravitated to each other.

The story itself was such a cozy, charming read - with just enough adventure and danger to keep the story engaging and fun.

I did find myself frustrated with how much Willow blamed herself in some of the situations where there were disagreements or challenges between her, Bri and Finlay. I felt at times she was almost the scapegoat but I guess that was because I really enjoyed her character arc.

Definitely recommend this to readers of YA cozy fantasy with a dash of romance!

Thank you for the opportunity to read early!

When a strange girl enters Willow Stokes' shop of "magical" curiosities and asks about grimoires, it doesn't take a wolpertinger (magical rabbit/squirrel creature with antlers and pheasant wings) to tell Willow that strange things are afoot. Wait. It does. So begins an adventure that will not only pull Willow Stokes out of the debt her father left when he passed away suddenly, it will also test her resolve to keep to herself. The citizens of Ardmuir may tolerate the orphaned daughter of a charlatan, but that's about it. And Willow won’t take charity.

When Willow realizes that the mysterious stranger has the ability to imbue real magical objects with their latent powers, she sees a way to get out of debt and actually make her shop into a reputable place of business. She just needs to convince the girl, Brianna Hargrave, that she'll help track down the oxblood-colored grimoire in exchange for her magical touch. And Finlay Barrow, the attractive printer's apprentice who seems to go out of his way to be annoyingly kind to Willow since her father's passing, is ready to throw his lot in and help the two girls make a go of the business. But when another collector comes around with a connection to the oxblood grimoire and makes an offer that Willow cannot refuse, she has to make a decision: does she trust Bri and Fin to or does she chart a course on her own?

Willow’s journey did remind me of Sophie’s from <i>Howl’s Moving Castle</i> (which you should read if you haven’t). When Willow’s father died, Willow fends for herself, grieving on her own in the quietness of a dusty shop, just like Sophie turned in on herself at the hat shop. I appreciate that we readers don’t initially see beyond Willow’s prickliness; we, like Bri and Fin, learn as we adventure together that Willow’s thorny exterior hides a tender heart. Brianna and Fin have their own burdens to carry, and despite Willow’s resolve to maintain a distance from others and avoid heartbreak, she’s drawn to these people. Finally, I enjoy the playful tone: Willow is sassy but self-deprecating; Fin teases; Argyle, the kitten, sleeps in the crook of Willow’s neck. It was a perfect book to begin my summer.

Many thanks to Wednesday books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my review.

4.5/5 stars

Look no further, A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford is the perfect cozy fantasy read this fall.

Let me set the scene: you’re at Ren Faire. The weather is starting to cool off for the first time in months. There’s a wonderful breeze in the air. You can nearly taste the fall atmosphere. A desperate need for fall vibes overcomes you, so you pick up this book. It perfectly satisfies that exact need.

I am so very glad I had the opportunity to ARC read A Curious Kind of Magic. It was truly wonderful. The synopsis had already sounded up my alley but I was worried as I find the cozy fantasy genre to be very hit or miss. It can be hard for cozy fantasies to balance coziness without being boring. However, Mara Rutherford did a fantastic job keeping the plot interesting as she set us out on our series of quests.

I absolutely flew through the first half of this book. The premise was fun and quirky and the enchanting prose sucked me right in. The second half was a bit slower for me but definitely still very enjoyable.

A shop full of curiosities, a mysterious girl with a magical curse, and the cutest found family I think I’ve ever read. It was giving Emily Wilde meets The Spellshop meets Strange Antiquities (the video game). And it was truly wonderful.

I very highly recommend that people pick up A Curious Kind of Magic when it releases October 21st! It is simply a perfect fall read!

Willow Stokes always fantasized about receiving an inheritance, little did she know that you can inherit your family's debt. Following her father's untimely death, Willow finds herself turning into a fraudster to keep her father's shop afloat. But people are aware that she sells fakes, and so it's been hard to make ends meet. She is 3 months behind on rent, and the landlord is unwilling to grant an extension. Then Brianna walks in. Cursed to turn the non-magical, into magic---with limitations, of course.

What to Expect:
📖1st Person POV
📖Magic Curiosity Shop
📖Road Trip
📖Found Family
📖Magic

I really enjoyed this as a nice pick me up after reading some books with darker themes. It was cute and I finished it in a day. There was enough action that my attention was had, but I didn't have that sense of hopelessness. I loved how it all wrapped up!

A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford is a sweet and charming, cozy fantasy that follows 17-year-old Willow Stokes as she attempts to keep her late father’s magical curiosity shop open amid debts and public disgrace. When Brianna Hargrave, an outsider, enters her shop searching for a grimoire, it seems to Willow that her fortunes are turning.

This was such a whimsical and sweet story about friendship, trust, and grief. Willow feels like a realistic 17-year-old who is doing everything in her power to keep her father’s dream alive while also living day to day. She is selfish, doesn’t know how to process her grief properly, refuses to ask for help, and will use people to her advantage. I was looking forward to seeing how she grew as a character.

Finlay was a great foil to Willow, though did not have as much of a character arc. He’s kind, loyal, and loves helping people. Brianna, however, was there with Willow throughout most of her journey. I loved learning about her past and watching both her and Willow grow and learn to lean on and rely on each other as friends.

I enjoyed Rutherford’s voice and writing and felt the pacing was great until the end. The dragon egg heist was the only off-putting thing. The heist was interesting but more high stakes than cozy, and the aftermath of it was something that took me out of the whimsy of the story. I did not enjoy the use of the egg.

If you enjoy YA cozy fantasy novels with a whimsical witchy vibe, imperfect characters, and found families, you’ll enjoy this book.

A Curious Kind of Magic is sweet and cozy story full of magic, adventure, romance, and friendship. It's going to be a perfect book to read in the fall curled up as the leaves change colors. I really enjoyed the world of Ardmuir that Mara Rutherford has created.
And of course I love Willow because I love a Scared Girl Who Hides Her True Feelings With Walls, Sarcasm, and Anger (I wonder why). Watching her grow and change and tear down her walls throughout the book was such a joy. I also loved her relationships with Bri and Finlay and how as the same importance was placed on platonic/friendship relationships as the romantic ones. It's so rare to see that explored and celebrated in a book and I found it really refreshing.
I wish we got a little more of an explanation of the magic in the world and how it works. And while I really enjoyed the quest that takes place towards the end of the book, I wish there was a little more of a lead up so it didn't feel like it came out of nowhere. It makes it feel like the ending is a little rushed.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, this world, and these characters. I love stories of magical girls and self discovery and pining and drinking tea in a cozy cottage with a cat.

A charming cozy fantasy with an acerbic but lonely teenage shopkeeper of maybe magical curiosities who learns the magic of friendship (i’m not really kidding with that, but it’s not as saccharine as it sounds).

Willow runs her father’s shop of supposed magical curiosities after he’s passed away, but because their magical origins are dubious, she’s having trouble making rent. Then Bri comes to her shop and makes things magical with a single touch, and Willow sees an opportunity to turn her shop around. But Bri is cursed, and looking for a grimoire to break it. The two make a deal, but soon get some unwanted attention that leads them on a quest to find a way to break Bri’s curse.

Willow is quite a caustic and acerbic character who makes poor choices so I think she won’t be liked by everyone, but she’s aware of her faults, has reasons for them, and can make fun of herself, so I thought she was funny and charming, and definitely had lots of room to grow. Grief and loneliness are significant parts of the book as Willow is an orphan and misses her dad, but tends to put up walls because she knows she can be unpleasant. Bri was interesting too, almost like a deuteragonist, with her own complicated family situations and motivations, and was a bit of a mystery at the beginning that we had to unravel, but I was rooting for her, too. The other significant character is Finlay, a longtime friend of Willow whom she has a crush on, and he’s basically the golden retriever type of love interest, but doesn’t let Willow roll all over him and pushes her to do better. They were a charming bunch.

I liked the plot in the beginning when they’re kind of searching for the grimoire and trying to rejuvenate the magic shop; that part was very cozy fantasy-esque. And then the quest happened kind of out of nowhere and a lot of stuff happened at once that felt a bit random and out of nowhere, so the pacing overall felt really weird to me. I kind of wished there was more set-up for those later events earlier in the story. And around the end when magic became more prominent also felt like it sped by without much build up or issue which kind of felt convenient, so I wished that could’ve been better.

But the writing and voice really fit Willow as a character (not sure where the dialect is from, maybe Scottish or something), and her character development felt natural and led to a very warm but maybe slightly bittersweet ending. It did feel like this cozy fantasy had decent stakes which I liked, and it was really sweet watching the three grow close. Sometimes I did wonder why this had to be YA as it’s essentially some teens running a shop, so I wondered if maybe this could’ve been made to be adult. Still, overall I really enjoyed this! A fun and warm fantasy with a pretty memorable protagonist. Highly recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a sweet cozy magical YA book. The protagonist was a little hard to connect to and made some maddening choices, even if they might be realistic for a 17 year old. I wanted to love it, but ended up liking it. The pacing could have been better, with the ending feeling a bit too neat and tidy for me. But it was still a fun read that ticks lots of the boxes for a cozy fantasy YA.

Sweet and short and to the point. All the tropes are there for a cozy fantasy.
Tha k you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was such a cute and cozy read. I really wanted to enjoy this book more than I did, but the main character is what held me back. I loved all of the auxiliary characters so much that I was disappointed in the way that the main character treated everyone. Yes, the main character does have flaws and has struggled throughout her life, but that doesn't mean that it's okay to treat others in the way that she did. It wasn't redeemable and that's what held back my enjoyment. However, I still enjoyed this. I would say that my rating is more 3.5, but because the main character was my least favorite, I'm rounding down. I will say that when I finished this though, I wasn't disappointed in having read the book. It was a great way to spend my afternoon.