I was hoping for a fun Christmas in July book. Instead I was given a dull cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie (and not in a fun way) Before I get any further I do wanna say thank you to NetGalley and Dutton publishing for allowing me to read and review an early copy.

Like I mentioned I was sadly disappointed with this one. I was hoping for a cute, quick Christmas read. Instead I was given a dud of a holiday romance that lacked any substance. I found myself extremely bored and constantly wanting to skim or just straight up DNF.

The story and characters were very one dimensional and predictable. The romance at times for me felt forced and unlikable. The only thing the kept me reading was the side characters. They at least made this whole book worth finishing. I wish I could’ve had the book dedicated to them instead of our leads.

Overall, this just wasn’t for me, but maybe it will be perfect for someone else this holiday season.

This book was really sweet and cute! I love a holiday story and I love a magical element, so this was overall very enjoyable. It took a minute for me to get invested, but once I was in, I was really happy to be there. Felt like a Hallmark holiday movie in the very best way

I was sold when I read this was a witchy Christmas romance! I don't think I've ever read one like this before and I was totally smitten from beginning to end. Any author who can make their stories feel like a movie (in this case a Hallmark movie) get a big thumbs up from me. I adored this one!

A Spell for Midwinter’s Heart got me hooked with the cover and the magical small town concept. Magic-averse Rowan Midwinter has sworn off magic after a spell gone wrong in high school let her with missing memories and regrets, but years later the town needs her, but her plans to save the festival and stay magic free goes awry when Gavin McCreery enters the picture again. Now her magic is uncontrollable and she realizes she needs to reconnect with all the things she left behind to help save the town. I loved the magic and small town of this story. It has big cozy, magic Hallmark movie vibes and it’s really heartwarming. Rowan has so much self doubt, my heart went out to her. And I really was rooting for her too. I will say it felt like there were a lot of things going on that it felt hard to get really invested. The romance got pretty glossed over, I just wish there had been more development on that because the moments of Gavin and Rowan were really sweet. Overall though, it’s a heartwarming, witchy holiday read still and very sweet.

Rating: 3.25 stars

This is a fun, cozy fantasy romance with all the holiday and romance vibes! The story follows Rowan, a witch who has decided she will no longer practice because she believes she caused utter disaster the last time she did. Conceding to her family's wishes to return to her hometown for their annual winter Yule festival, Rowan reluctantly decides to try to help save the festival that has meant so much to her family for generations because, without snow for the festival, finances are a BIG problem. Unfortunately, the Midwinter family and coven is battling against the McCreerys, their long-standing enemies. Dennis McCreery is planning to sell the festival to a big company that will take away all of the special charm of the festival, turning it into a typical commercial celebration full of Christmas cliches and chain businesses. Gavin, Dennis' son and Rowan's lifetime rival, is being realistic about the prospects and profit of selling the festival, but he still wants to help. Time continues to run out as the situation gets more tense, and it doesn't help Rowan's attention that there seem to be sparks flying between her and Gavin, even though she tries to push them away. Ultimately, Rowan has lots of decisions to make about how much she is willing to embrace her magic and her family, follow her heart, and trust the way things work out.

This story was enjoyable to read. The plot itself is similar to other novels I have read, but I loved the unique aspect of the Yule celebrations and coven/witch rituals and magic that was brought in. I actually learned a lot about Yule, and it was fun! It was easy to follow the story, and there were subplots that were interesting (the family, town, some side characters). The major complexity in the story, aside from the threat to the festival, is Rowan's resistance to magic and her elusive past, which I found to be the most compelling part of the story.

I found most of the characters to be well-developed, especially the main character (Rowan). I was a bit frustrated at her consistent self-blaming because it started to get repetitive to the point that it seemed like she thought she was the center of the world, BUT it was redeemed! Other characters pointed out that she isn't the only one who has power and influence over everything, which I liked (shoutout to Dade). I also really enjoyed getting the depth and background of Rowan's family and some of the side characters (also appreciating the queer representation throughout the book). I do wish that we got more complexity for Gavin's character.

I was pretty invested in the characters as individuals, though the pacing of the romance was a bit off for me. I was enjoying the buildup of tension and the complexity added by their uncertain past with one another, but then it seemed as if the slow build up was abruptly ended by their infatuation in a split second.

I really enjoyed the beginning and end of the book! As the magic and setting/Yule traditions were established and explained, I was engaged. I also loved the ending - the pace picked up, and it felt like the plot/events were moving forward and grabbed my attention! I was unfortunately not very interested by the middle portion of the book. I didn't feel that much was happening; for me, the pace was too slow.

Overall, it was an enjoyable festive romance! I would recommend it for those who enjoy/are looking for a slower-paced holiday story with magic!

*Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 15%

Had a hard time getting into the writing

Christmas x witchy vibes! This book had the potential to be so cute and maybe I'll try again in the winter

Thank you NetGalley for the

Rowan’s heading home for the holidays for the first time in years. Her family celebrates Yule, and did I mention they are witches? Her mother’s pushing hard for her to rejoin the coven because there is no snow pack on the mountains. Not only is it worrisome ecologically but the weather has caused lagging attendance at the Winter Festival, that runs from mid-December to New Year’s, meaning slashed income for family booths. The coven plans a meteorological intervention.

A canceled flight leaves Rowan scrambling for transportation until she meets her high school antagonist, Gavin McCreery. She accepts his invitation to ride home and discovers his father’s plan to sell the Festival to a corporation that will change her small town forever!

Some deep subjects are delved into here: the personal aspects of grief and the importance of family are handled with tenderness and insight. A steamy love scene seems a little tacky juxtaposed with the slow burn of growing affection between Gavin and Rowan. All in all, a good holiday read with gently inserted themes of acceptance, family, and losing a loved one.

DNF at 26% The whole story was cute, and the Christmas/winter vibes were really compelling, but I just wasn't able to connect with the characters very much. There was also a LOT of gay and queer stuff in it, which kinda botched the whole story. A great plot idea though!! Thank you so much to the Publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for allowing me to read the E-Arc for an honest review!

This book hits the mark of a sweet, cozy, magical, going home to the winter fest with twists left and right. Some moments made me laugh, while others made me yell "stop the bad guy" in my head and even the quieter moments were heartfelt. The story had me hooked from beginning to end. I loved the journey that Rowan goes on in the book with herself and with her family around her. All the moments about magic, tradition, life and love were spot on in this story!

The story made me want to go visit this winter fest.

It's a great little cozy read with one spicy bit and yet just right to get your mood in for a holiday read.

Yup I think this book is going to be added to my physical collection when it comes out in September!

I definitely want to reread this in the winter or fall because I feel like it gave the perfect atmospheric vibe for reading in both seasons!

It's a million degrees in the mid-Atlantic this July making it the perfect time to read a Christmas book. It was the perfect witchy, small town, holiday romance setup, but fell a bit flat to me. There were a couple of great nuggets of plot but none of them nor the romance between Rowan and Gavin were developed for me to care. The big reveal of what happened in the past was really interesting though and I really wish we had dug into that more.

A Spell for Midwinter’s Heart is a cozy, Holiday-themed romance filled with charm, warmth, and magical chemistry. Though short, it leaves a lasting impression thanks to its lovable characters and heartfelt storytelling.

This book was good, it was romantic, wistful and atmospheric. I think this would be a great Winter time read. It was engaging and thoughtful too!

A sweet and charming Hallmark Christmas witchy romcom best describes this story. Loved that the story focused on community and family and not solely on magic. Plus add in some spicy romance and you got me hooked.

A witch who has abandoned her magic and can't remember why, must figure out the mystery to save her family's winter festival while falling in love with the scion of the family that wants to shut it down. Predictable in all the good ways, I loved the message of inclusivity and small acts against corporate greed.

A Spell for Midwinter’s Heart is a debut holiday romance by Morgan Lockhart that follows Rowan as she returns home only to find that the town she grew up in could be changing for the worse. Can she keep her hallmark town a tourist destination?

This was cute. I loved the witchy elements and I thought Rowan was a realistic, if a little annoying, character. She has a lot of doubt in herself which I didn’t love but it fit the overall story. I liked the romance that happened. The cute holiday town was the perfect setting for the story.

I wish this felt a little more fleshed out as a story. A lot of the parts that I found interesting seemed to be glossed over quickly. I wanted a bit more magic.

That being said, I feel the same way about this book as I do Erin Sterling’s witchy romance series so I think fans of that series would absolutely love this book and I plan on recommending it to those readers!

I think this book is okay for a debut but it wasn't anything groundbreaking. The FMC Rowan was getting kind of annoying the longer I read. She was always second guessing her decisions time and time again and the solution was always the same. It honestly made me start skimming towards the end of the book. I didn't really care about any of the other characters that much either. I don't know it kind of just felt like it was missing something. I did think the actual story was pretty cute though. I lowks want to become a witch and create my own holiday festival 🤣. I'll have to see if I read another book by this author but I probably will.

3.5 stars.

This was a sweet, cozy and charming story, with a main character who relearns how to be with family and her community and who falls in love again with her home town and her high school friend/rival. It was fun to grow to understand Rowan's mom and to hate the character of Hayleigh.

This book feels like a Christmas Hallmark movie, but with witches. It was strange reading this holiday romance during the summer and it will make the perfect winter witchy romance. It had everything, from a second chance romance to the struggling small town, without forgetting the dash of witchcraft.

This was a charming and cozy winter read. The magic was embedded in the story and I enjoyed the focus on Yule and its traditions. It was a wintery holiday romance without feeling too Christmasy. It would be a good transitional read for when you still want the magic of the Halloween season but are ready to move into holiday reads. My only issue was with the main character and her actions at times as it seemed repetitive. There was a lack of awareness and she wasn't learning from her mistakes. I also found that the major "issue" between the love interests was forgiven a little too easily. I don't want to give any spoilers but in my humble opinion, what the main character did to her love interest in the past was pretty wild and he got over it a little too quickly. Overall, it was still an enjoyable read and I look forward to the author's future works.

This was a good, holiday/winter witchy romance. A well-written story with a good message to remember you're not alone & there's purpose in finding your community. A witchy Yule romance with a little bit of spice that is helping me during these hot, summer months. Overall, a solid 3.75-4 star read, I look forward to more from this author.