This was an interesting read and I really enjoyed the world building and the library of dubious origin. The whole staff from the library were great and each of them was so interesting. I liked Zoe but I disliked how much she pushed back against her magic to her detriment and how bad she was at doing anything with it. The story was pretty fast paced and I enjoyed figuring out what happened with her mother and grandmother. I really enjoyed the romance between Zoe and Jasper, they had great chemistry.
Thanks to Ace and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

When a librarian discovers she’s descended from a long line of powerful witches, she’ll need all of her bookish knowledge to harness her family’s magic, in this enchanting cozy fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay.


Witches of Dubious Origin
by Jenn McKinlay
Pub Date: Oct 28 2025

Zoe Ziakas enjoys a quiet life, working as a librarian in her quaint New England town. When a mysterious black book with an unbreakable latch is delivered to the library, Zoe has a strange feeling the tome is somehow calling to her. She decides to consult the Museum of Literature, home to volumes of indecipherable secrets, some possessing dark magic that must be guarded.

Here, among their most dangerous collection, the Books of Dubious Origin, Zoe discovers that she is the last descendant of a family of witches and this little black book is their grimoire. Zoe knows she must decode the family’s spell book and solve the mystery of what happened to her mother and her grandmother. However, the book’s potential power draws all things magical to it, and Zoe finds herself under the constant watch of a pesky raven, while being chased by undead Vikings, ghost pirates, and assorted ghouls.

With assistance from the eccentric staff of the Books of Dubious Origin department—including their annoyingly smart and handsome containment specialist, Jasper Griffin—Zoe must confront her past and the legacy of her family. But as their adventure unfolds, she’ll have to decide whether or not she’s ready to embrace her destiny.

Listen -- I’m a sucker for a book about books. You put the words “Library” or “Bookshop” in the title or images of bookshelves on the cover and I’ll give your book a chance. So, while Witches of Dubious Origin doesn’t have any of those magic words in the title, the bookshelves are popping on that gorgeous cover, showing what’s to come in the life of the main character, Zoe, as we dive into her story. I had fun with Zoe as she discovered her past, reconciling it with her present and discovering this magical world along the way.

Jenn McKinlay’s previous works are a healthy mix of cozy mysteries and romantic comedies. With Witches of a Dubious Origin, she takes elements of those, combining them with light fantasy elements of witchcraft, spells, and supernatural creatures. For the most part, she was successful in her efforts, although it felt a bit inconsistent with its own tone and plotting.

There are times where dozens of pages would go by and the book was firmly in the cozy camp, and then we’re switching over to a light to moderate romance (a small amount of spice to it)...and then we have the supernatural element. For the most part, the threat was minimal (and even when something appeared more threatening, often it wasn’t too bad), but the tone was just a bit inconsistent and it was hard to keep the type of book flowing in one direction.

Even the main character was inconsistent. She had a past, but didn’t really understand it. Even when given the tools to connect with who she was and her family, her own logic falls apart. But, people in real life are weird sometimes, so I was willing to give parts of it a pass as long as the story kept forward momentum, which it did. By the end of the book, I understood the characters a lot better and felt it worked fairly well.

Overall, I had a good time with it and would check out some of McKinlay’s other work.

Thank you to Ace for providing this book for review consideration through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Sadly, I *wanted* to like this novel more than ended up liking it.

It checked all the boxes for the summer read that I wanted at that moment -- a little witchiness, a little romance, LIBRARIES, found family, and a mystery to solve. Despite all that, the story just fell flat for me. I didn't love the main character, who made an art form of self-deprecation and stubbornly insisting that she simply couldn't (insert action here).

The ending felt rushed, and cluttered with phrases that felt like they'd been lifted from an episode of Scooby-Doo. (Not a direct quote, but definitely along the lines of, "You did it! You foiled the evil villain single-handedly!")

This was a swing and a miss for me, but might find an audience who enjoys very light, cozy, witchy mysteries.

This is the first cozy fantasy by McKinlay and she knocked it out of the park. As a public librarian, Zoe wants to live a simple quiet life until a black book arrives and brings with it the reminder of her family’s magic heritage. Her search for answers as to why she is given this grimoire and what it means takes her to the Books of Dubious Origin where she meets a cast of characters who help her find her path and become her family. I am hoping for a sequel. There is so much more to explore in the BODO!

Even though this author has been writing for a while, this is the first book I’ve read by her. And what an introduction it was. Zoe is a librarian who is sticking her head in the stand about her and her family’s magic. However, when that magic comes to call, she can no longer ignore the past. While this book isn’t perfect, I loved the dynamic between the members of the library, the existence of the library itself, and of course Agatha as well as so many other things. I’m hoping this isn’t a standalone, and we get much more with all of them. Give this one a try! Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Thanks to netgalley and publishers for this ARC!

This book was cute and a lot of fun. I liked the magical system and how the author described things without going too in-depth. Recommend for any lovers of cozy fantasy! Stakes are high but not TOO high.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Jenn McKinlay always writes the most real characters, ones you love and root for, and Zoe is no exception.

In Witches of Dubious Origin, Zoe discovers a book in her library's collection that she suspects might be magic. When she learns that she is descended from a long line of witches and that she is the last of her line, she begins to try to unravel all of her family's secrets. Unbeknownst to her, however, magic is drawn to magic, and lots comes out of the woodwork as she tries to unspell the family grimoire.

I adored this story! It was fast paced, engrossing, and had the perfect literary vibes--aren't we all suckers for books about books? This is one of my favorite reads of the year and I can't wait for fall to come so I can recommend it to my customers.

This was a fascinating read. I could not stop thinking about these characters. This has the potential to be a series.

WITCHES OF DUBIOUS ORIGIN is the brand-new cozy fantasy from Jenn McKinlay. With her trademark wit and humor, Ms. McKinlay pens an enchanting tale that captured my attention and held it throughout until I’d read the very last word. I couldn’t resist the library setting, lost family, found friends who turn into family, a rollicking adventure, and a mysterious book sent by a long-vanished mother. The protagonist, Zoe Ziakas, is a sympathetic character, and I found myself wanting to know what happens to her and wanted her to have a happy ending. Along her journey to discover what her magical book is, and discover who she is, Zoe collects an eccentric group of people to aid her. With a bit of romance and some humor thrown in, the main focus is the magic and the mystery living up to my expectations. I’m hoping that this will turn into a series because I’d love to see more of Zoe and her people!

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a cozy fantasy that comes with magic and supernatural creatures! It is a delightful novel and I was fully immersed while reading it. This has adventurous and mysterious vibes to it. This story also comes with some humor in it as well! I really felt connected to Zoe in the story. I could feel how she was feeling! The female main character Zoe, is a librarian that receives a mysterious black book that contains an unbreakable latch. She learns about her family’s past and starts uncovering their secrets.

She now has to decide if she wants to accept her role as a witch or not. A containment specialist named Jasper helps Zoe on whether she should or should not continue the family’s legacy. Themes explored in this book are a new found family, embracing destiny and family legacy, the power of books and knowledge, facing the past and uncovering secrets, magic and the supernatural, and comforting romance! This is a medium paced read that is filled with lovable characters. It has a clear thesis, a well executed plot and is easy to read. It is thought provoking and well written. Overall, I rate this 4 out of 5 stars!

I think fans of cozy fantasies, that contain witches and magic, would really enjoy this novel! Be sure to read the content warnings.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Jenn McKinlay and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace 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 28, 2025! A perfect book for the fall and winter seasons!

I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. The setting was right up my alley as was the story line, but I couldn't get past how annoying I thought most of the characters were or the descriptions of her work as a librarian. Overall, it had a neat premise but the execution didn't work for me.

I will read anything by Jenn McKinlay and this book didn't disappoint! I love that Jenn is branching out. This fun halloweenie book was great. Highly recommend!

Witches of Dubious Origin was a cozy fantasy romp with just the right amount of magic, mystery, and snark. Zoe Ziakas started out as your classic quiet librarian, but one cursed book delivery later, she was neck-deep in a legacy of witches, undead troublemakers, and a raven with boundary issues.
The world-building was whimsical yet rich, especially the Museum of Literature and its Books of Dubious Origin (honestly, I want to work there). Zoe’s discovery of her magical lineage felt both thrilling and grounded, and the pacing rarely lagged. The supernatural hijinks—ghost pirates! Viking zombies!—added levity, while the emotional threads around her missing mother and grandmother gave the story heart.
And then there was Jasper Griffin, the smug, suit-wearing containment specialist who somehow managed to be equal parts infuriating and swoon-worthy. Their banter crackled and the slow-burn tension made this magical mystery even more fun.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I always love books by Jenn McKinlay and this new one, which is very different for this author, is no exception! Zoe is a small town librarian who is aware that the women in her family, her ancestors, were witches. But she saw the bad effect it had on her own mom and grandmother, and she wants nothing to do with any of it. She is content and secure in her life as a small town librarian. Her hand is forced when a mysterious book is delivered to her. A grimoire -- a manual for witches -- that has magic powers of its own that compel Zoe to change course and to plunge into an adventure that has her looking into what really became of her mother and grandmother. I hope this is the first in a series! Great title that I look forward to recommending. I think even readers who say they don't like fantasy will enjoy this.

This is Jenn McKinlay's first foray into fantasy and I think it's a good start. The main character Zoe is a librarian who receives a magical book and has to figure out what to do with it. I liked Zoe quite a bit and she evolved over the course of the book. Her main love interest is a sexy brit Librarian, liked that quite a bit. The side characters could use a bit more fleshing out but I hope to see more of them in future novels.

It is because of the 2-star review someone else gave this I felt compelled to read this! And honestly? I have no idea what real librarians do however I loved the library in this book! It's like the library in Doctor Who that was run by CAL the AI - that probably offended librarians everywhere too but I still loved that episode!

Witches of Dubious Origin is a bookish, witchy cozy fantasy with National Treasure-meets-Harry Potter energy and a librarian protagonist: Zoe who's smart, grounded, and just sarcastic enough to feel real. When a creepy, sealed grimoire shows up at her library and undead pirates start crashing the party, I was fully in!

Hello secret departments, magical books, ghostly chaos. I could've done without the bird sidekick but I guess that's better than the owl in Harry Potter. There’s some zany action which felt a little out of place but I didn’t care. It was totally predictible in a good way.

So to the person who hated how librarians are portrayed here: I respect the opinion, but I’m team Zoe all the way.

4.5 stars from me. I hope this kicks off a long series, because I’d happily follow Zoe and her spell-slinging squad through many more magical mysteries.

An excellent start to a new series by one of my favorite authors! Magic, and witches and cozy cottages....everything I could have hoped for! Zoe Ziakas lives a quiet life as a reference librarian in a small town. That all changes when she receives a mysterious package in the mail followed by a mysterious undead visitor at the door. Zoe is descended from a long line of witches, something she has ignored until now. I loved this book! There are lots of surprises and very good character development. I could easily visualize all of the characters. The ending was surprising and the romance slow and believable. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

I love a good cozy fantasy, and this book seriously delivered. If you're a sucker for library settings, national treasure kind of vibes, mystery and magic, this is absolutely up your alley.

The characters were amazing. The main character was relatable, fun and strong. No weak female main character energy here, she wanted to stand on her own feet and take care of her problems on her own. I love that in a character. The side characters absolutely enhanced the feel and enjoyment of the story too. Such huge found-family vibes, which I LOVE. And they were completely lovable, each in their own ways.

With the journey of figuring out the mysteries of the story, it was fun, exciting and eventful. I did not at all see it unfolding the way that it did and that just makes a book even more enjoyable for me. I want that little jaw drop moment and the "whaaaaat?" feel. It was great and the author really made it compelling to read the journey and they seriously delivered with the outcome.

The romantic sub plot was really cute and well done. I really enjoyed that it wasn't a cornerstone of the story too. I thought the book being mostly focused on the magic and the mystery was exactly what it needed. That being said, the little bits of romance thrown in were swoon worthy and cute.

There wasn't a moment with this book where I was bored, I never once zoned out while reading, it was just that addictive and interesting. I really recommend this as a cozy and witchy fantasy/mystery. I can't wait to read more from this author!