This was such a cozy fantasy novel, filled with magic! This book is in the young adult genre. It comes with a fun storyline, lovable characters and mystery! It made me feel lighthearted, adventurous, hopeful and relaxed. It’s one of those books that you can just sit by the fire, enjoy a nice cup or tea, and take your time reading. Oh, let’s not forget a warm fuzzy blanket to snuggle up with. This fantasy book centers around a teenage girl named Willow Stokes, who runs her dad’s fake magic shop. All items in this shop aren’t magical at all. She has her reasoning behind this, that we learn later on in the story.

Willow is still running her non magical shop, until a special someone that has special abilities walks in! A girl named Brianna walks into the shop and turns the items in the shop into real magic. Brianna is cursed with a gift that turns original objects into magical objects! With Brianna’s touch, the shop changes all of the non magical items to real, genuine magical items! They end up going on a quest with a good looking printer’s assistant! On this quest, they discover hidden magic and deception. A deep connection forms during this quest, as they explain their unique abilities! This book was such a fun, magical ride that I did not want to get off of! I give this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars rating!

I think fans of YA magical fantasy books will enjoy reading this one! Cussing is the only content warning.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Mara Rutherford and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for this electronic arc of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on October 21, 2025!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for providing me with a copy for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

A Curious Kind of Magic is a mid-stakes YA fantasy about found family, knowing yourself, and the collective trauma of having parents who probably should have considered therapy rather than having children.

I wouldn’t call this book “cozy” exactly. There is too much turmoil and the stakes are too high for that, but it’s definitely cozy-adjacent with the setting and themes of found family and kindly strangers. There is sweet romance in this book, but don’t go into it expecting “spice” of any kind. Again, these characters are teenagers and it wouldn’t be appropriate to the age or the setting.


The main characters are all teenagers, and behave as such from time to time. That is to say, when they make selfish or short-sighted decisions, it is very clear that it is due to their age and lack of experience. More importantly, the characters are always learning from their mistakes and trying their best to do better, which is more than we sometimes see from fully adult characters, even in very popular fantasy novels. It was very easy to like nearly every character and to root for their journey.

If you’re looking for a book to curl up with as the leaves are falling and you want to be warm and entertained (it had great pacing), this is going to be the perfect autumn read for you. Slightly higher stakes than usual for “cozy” books, it still provided a relaxing and rewarding read. Definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

This book gives you the same feeling as when you come in from the cold and wrap a warm blanket around your shoulders, which I found surprising and refreshing for a fantasy read that still had plenty of action. A Curious Kind of Magic is geared towards teens and younger adults but its coziness transcends to all age groups. Focused on Willow, who has lost her father but inherited his not so magic shop, and her resolve to see it succeed is believable and tugged at my heart. Her growing friendship with Brianna, who may just be the key to the shop’s success (but who needs to break the curse that brought her to the shop) was also heartwarming and the added character of Finlay was the perfect foil.

Heartwarming and hard to put down, this book is a great for stepping away to a charming little world that acts as a balm.

This was an enjoyable sweet book. Although this main character was not always my favorite, I grew to like her and enjoyed her growth.

Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

Willow runs her late fathers store that sells magical artifacts. The store though mostly sells fakes and is in financial trouble. One day when Brianna walks into the store she has a magical touch that turn the artifacts into the real thing. Brianna is searching for a certain artifact that will cure the curse that has been placed on her. Willow offers a proposition that they could help one another. Brianna helps Willow sell the artifacts in her store and in return she will help Bri find a cure. Problem is nothing goes as planned and there is more danger than they could have imagined.

I enjoyed seeing Willow and Bri work together and grow closer, it was nice to see a strong friendship form between them. They both come to rely on one another and want to help with each other's problems. Finlay was also a great friend to the group he would do anything for Willow and he was always looking out for her. The trio works to find more artifacts to help save Willows store all while trying to find the cure to help Bri.

This was fast paced with some twists along the way. Overall, an enjoyable read.

This was a sweet cozy read. I will admit I’ve never read or seen Howl’s Moving castle nor Little Thieves that this was compared too. I loved the world building. Also Willow and Brianna were such well written characters. Fun read.

Quick cozy read but there was a lot of inner monologuing going on of panic moments which felt a little repetitive. All in all though, a fun read.

This was such a sweet, cozy fantasy. I loved the witchy vibes, the heartfelt friendships, and the slow-burn character growth. Willow is a relatable protagonist, and her bond with Bri was a highlight. While the pacing dragged a bit in the beginning, the warmth and magic throughout more than made up for it. Perfect fall read with a lot of heart.

It was a magical book. Kept me up late most nights so I could get to the end of this story. I will be checking out more of Mara's works :)

A Curious Kind of Magic is a lighthearted, high YA fantasy with cute characters and relationships, cool worldbuilding, and a bewitching premise. I really enjoyed Willow (the main character) and found myself relating to her a lot. Bri and Finlay are also amazing, and the relationship between Finlay and Willow was SO CUTE! I ended the book just wanting more of it. Like, a permanent amount. 🫶🏽

Where the book fell short for me was plot points. The beginning seemed a bit slowed down, and I kept reading for the cool premise, but the entire first half was slow. The second half was great, but the resolution tied everything up in an “early 2000s movie” kind of way, and it was less satisfying to see the sharp character growth Willow went through at the end instead of having a more consistent growth throughout.

All in all, the cute worldbuilding, witchy aspects, FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS!!! and the ADORABLE romance makes it worth it for a light fantasy read. 🩵

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford

Willow's da is gone and she is struggling to keep his magical curiosity shoppe open after his death. The relics she sells are not magical and
the people of the town don't respect her, with few exceptions.

Then she discovers that magic is real, and rare.

The interesting design of the cover featuring fungi, a wolpertinger, and other items mentioned in the book along with the title drew me in.

This book has an underlying depth of warmth.
I feel fortunate to have read it. For me it is an instant classic.

I would like to read more from this author!

October 21, 2025
Wednesday Books

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#friendship #Witches
#Magic #curse #Romance #Instantclassic
#Brightbookreviews #facebook #bookstagram
#Goodreads

This review is currently posted on Goodreads.
Reviews will post to BrightBookReviews Instagram and Facebook pages on October 21, 2025.
(I generally leave book reviews up indefinitely).
A review will also be submitted to Amazon.

A Curious Kind of Magic follows our protagonist Willow, a 17 year old girl who runs her deceased father’s shop that sells magic items (spoiler: the items aren’t magic). One day, a girl, Brianna, shows up looking for something to break her curse — she’s able to give items magic for a short period of time with just one touch. Willow sees Bri as an opportunity to save her shop but all Bri wants is to break her curse. Willow wants to save the shop and help Bri, but can she do both?

Overall this was a cozy fun read! Perfect for the fall months, it has the witchy, warm vibe that’s great for cuddling in a blanket with a hot chocolate. I loved following Willow’s journey — not only in her life but her opening up and able to trust our wonderful side characters. If you want a sweet, easy palate cleanser, this is a great novel for you!

A Curious kind of magic was a cute, cozy fantasy. While I felt some ports the pacing was slightly off, it was overall fast paced and very easy to get into this world. I was also hoping for some world building, but for a standalone it was good! I think my absolute favorite part was the development of Willow and Bri’s friendship. All in all, this was a sweet and fun novel to read!

Willow is trying to make ends meet after her Da dies and keep his curiosities shop running. A chance encounter with an outlander stranger Bri, looking for a book leads to a twist in circumstance.

A trade for assistance leads to ending up as roommates and coworkers. An ocean traversing adventure with lies, schemes, and magic reveals secrets about Willow and Bri. As they learn about themselves, they also start to grow and evolve to finally find their place. I enjoyed the introspective for the characters as to where their choices lead them to where they are and how to get to where they want to be.

Absolutely delightful! I went in expecting a cozy fantasy, and it delivered that and so much more. The blend of humor, heart, and a touch of magic made it a truly enchanting read.

Willow Stokes, the teenage owner of a (mostly fake) magical curiosity shop, is a protagonist I instantly connected with. Her determination to keep her father's legacy alive, despite the town's skepticism, was both touching and inspiring. When Brianna Hargrave enters the scene, turning Willow's fakes into real magic, the story takes on an exciting twist. Their dynamic is filled with tension, growth, and a budding friendship that adds depth to the narrative.

The setting of Ardmuir is richly described, making me feel as though I was walking its cobblestone streets and browsing the curiosities in Willow's shop. The supporting characters, especially the charming printer's assistant, added layers of intrigue and warmth to the story.

What stood out to me was how the story balanced whimsical elements with genuine emotional stakes. Themes of grief, self-acceptance, and the power of belief are woven seamlessly into the plot, making it resonate on a deeper level.

If you're looking for a fantasy novel that combines adventure, heartfelt moments, and a dash of romance, this one's for you. I thoroughly enjoyed every page and can't wait to see what Mara Rutherford brings us next!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early read — I had a great time with this one!

ˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝟜.𝟚𝟝 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤, 𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕕 𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝟜

I wasn't sure what to expect, but this book did NOT disappoint! It was so cozy and cute and fun to read, and I really enjoyed it. It did feel a bit slow and had a few boring moments, but oterhwise it was really enjoyable. While reading, I felt like I was transported into this fantasy world that it takes place in, and the detail, characters and worldbuilding were all amazing. I gave it 4 stars because it wasn't quite as good as some books I've read, and some chapters were harder to get through, but I still liked it. I can definitely see it becoming a comfort book for me to reread over and over again at some point, and I'm considering buying a physical copy when it actually comes out because that cover is so pretty!

» [Willow- Taylor Swift] «
0:00 ─〇───── 4:12
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕
౨ৎ A fun, cozy fantasy
౨ৎ An enjoyable writing style
౨ৎ Great worldbuilding
౨ৎ A slower paced book, but not in a bad way

━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼

⤷ Willow- She;s a really good main character, I loved reading from her perspective and thought she was a really good character!

⤷ Bri- also a great character!

⤷ Finlay- Another really great character!

━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━

𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓘 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓭

⤷ The writing style- Easy and fun to read, very enjoyable

⤷ The plot/concept-It was interesting and just really great

⤷ The romance- Even though it was a small subplot I really liked it and I think it was really well done!

⤷ The world building- I completely felt like I was in the world of this book, it was just so great and easy to get into, some fantasy books are kind of confusing but this one was not


𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓘 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷'𝓽 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮

⤷ It got a bit boring at times- Since it is a slower paced book, at some moments I felt like I had to push through it a bit

━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━

A Curious Kind of Magic is a wonderful novel. It was a relaxing read with well thought out characters, an intriguing plot, and a great deal of creativity.

Willow inherited her father's curiosity shop upon his passing. Her father kept telling her that their was magic in the shop but she never saw any indication of it. With the help of two other teenagers, her best friend and a girl with some secrets, Willow will learn a lot about herself, her shop, and her world.

My thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC for me to preview.

This was a great book with a lot of heart. Willow was an entirely relatable character and my heart went out to her. Who in the same situation wouldn't make the same choices? Bri and Finlay rounded out thr friendship beautifully. I really enjoyed the story and it had a lovely twist in it that i didn't see coming! I definitely would want a copy of this on my shelves and wouldn't mind more in this universe.

I really enjoyed this whimsical YA Fantasy! It's atmospheric, cozy and would be a perfect companion to an Autumn evening.

I think what I liked most about this story is the character development and growth of the MCs. Throughout the story we get to see a strong found family/friendship form as they navigate their personal and collective journey.

This was a new to me author and I would definitely check out future work as well as recommend this one.

Also I think it's worth mentioning that the cover of this book is absolutely stunning and I can't wait to pick up a copy when it's released!

Thank you Mara Rutherford, Net Galley, and St. Martin's Press| Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

A Curious Kind of Magic is a cozy must-read for fans of T. Kingfisher’s Paladin series. Suitable for adults and younger readers.

This book was so wonderfully tender and charming. It was cozy and magical with writing that rooted me into the pages.
I loved how endearing and relatable the characters were. It has a beautiful story at its heart about finding peace in yourself and friendships, and of course a magical shop. Overall, a wonderful and heartfelt YA cozy fantasy with characters that will worm their way into your heart.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this arc💕