first and foremost, thank you netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc i exchange of a honest review.

i have to admit that it took me a oittle while to get into the book (might also be because life was keeping me too busy to sit down and read) but once i did i enjoyed it tremendously.

the character are a little silly and a little pathetic, and that's what i like.

i clocked the evil wizard's identity as soon as the character was introduced, but the reveal was still satisfying.

i might be wrong but the story doesn't seem entirely finished, maybe the author has a sequel planned? i wouldn't mind seeing more of mateo, ophelia and topher.

This book was so creative. The premise was unique but so perfectly executed, the characters were flawed but likable, and the plot was fun. Mateo, Ophelia, and Topher’s adventure was full of hijinks, mischief, and magic and the story unfolded in a way that kept me rapt with attention. I feel like there needs to be more books in this series following this trio and furthering Matteo and Topher’s relationship. Overall, I loved this book!

3.75 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC.

I kept seeing ads for this book on IG and the cover and title drew me in. Then reading the description, I knew this was a book I had to read and was so excited when I got the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. It is dark, but it also has a cozy vibe to it. I love Mateo. Despite what he’s been through he really is a good person. Ophelia is such an interesting character and I really wish we got more from her PoV. Topher is adorable and seeing him grow a bit was great.

This book could be a standalone but it’s definitely got the setup to continue as a series if the author chooses. Which I really hope they do. Especially because there are some things that were only vaguely explained in this or just mentioned and not gone into detail at all.

Like what exactly Mateo’s mom did, the cult Ophelia’s family ran from and what happened to them, and where or what exactly happened to Mateo’s mom.

Now the reason this isn’t a little higher is just because of a few problems I had.

One, I feel like this could have been edited down just a little bit. Some paragraphs felt a bit chunky and a bit messy. I get that, even though it wasn’t first person POV it was kind of like Mateo’s inner thoughts, but even then, some lines didn’t make sense and it was just a little too much.

Second, there were a few things that I felt like could have been explained a little better. An example is how Mateo describes Ophelia’s two types of smiles. He kind of explains them but I’m not sure if we are supposed to infer that the first is only for food and the second is for people she cares about, but then later when he asks her how she feels about Topher she gives that first smile…..

Even with that, I would purchase this book and I really hope it is a set up for a series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (and a half, if we’re being honest)

This book is an absolute chaotic delight. It’s weird, witty, dark in all the right ways, and packed with heart. If you like your paranormal adventures full of cursed rich boys, sarcastic witches, internal demons (literal and emotional), and found family that makes you feel things—you’re going to love this.

The story follows Mateo, who’s trying to scrape by as an “Occult Specialist” despite not really knowing what he’s doing and having a demon trapped inside him (thanks, Mom). He and his best friend, Ophelia—who can astral project and has zero patience for nonsense—get hired by Topher, a sweet, painfully naive guy who’s cursed and desperate for help. Naturally, everything spirals into magical chaos.

The dynamic between the three of them is fantastic. Mateo is all snark and emotional repression, Ophelia is the grounding force with a sharp tongue, and Topher is basically a golden retriever with a trust fund. Their interactions are hilarious and heartfelt, and while the romance between Mateo and Topher is slow and very much on the back burner, it adds a nice undercurrent without taking over the story.

The magic system is messy in a fun way, and the worldbuilding has a gritty charm to it. There’s some solid mystery and even a few moments that genuinely surprised me. Also, fair warning: it gets gory. We’re talking flesh-eating demons, altar sacrifices, the works. But it never feels gratuitous—it’s gross, sure, but it adds to the stakes and the weird humor of it all.

Mateo’s narration is a standout. He’s sarcastic and deeply flawed, but also loyal and trying really hard not to lose what’s left of himself. His internal struggle with the demon is compelling, and some of the more vulnerable moments (especially after a certain fall from a third-story window) hit surprisingly hard.

A couple of small critiques: I wish we got more of Ophelia as her own person—she’s awesome, but most of what we know about her is filtered through Mateo’s perspective. And there are a few lines of prose that veer into “trying a little too hard” territory (e.g. someone knocking “like a feather-soft kiss”—come on). But overall? The pacing’s tight, the vibes are great, and the voice is strong.

This feels like a setup for a series, and if it is, I’m absolutely on board for book two. It’s messy, magical, funny, and full of heart—what more could you want?
I got this book for free from the publishers, My insta is bellabooksnbinds if you want to see more books

He's got 99 problems, but his biggest one is probably the demon inside.
Mateo Borrero is just doing his best, like all of us, but his best also includes trying to keep an entire demon at bay. Fans of urban fantasy, rejoice, because K. Valentin manages to combine the fantasy feel of The Dresden Files with contemporary KPop Demon Hunters vibes (yesss!) and I am HERE. FOR. IT! The characters are delightful and the story kept me guessing at every turn. (At one point I almost screamed aloud in the gym where I was reading it, good times.)
Thank you to Alcove and NetGalley for the ARC, it was a joy!

I loved this. Perfect vibe to get me into witchy fall season. Made me miss the fall leaves and magic. I’m so excited to read more from this author

This is fun, ridiculous, and with splatters of gore. Mateo is a goth, the son of a very powerful witch and has a demon trapped inside him. He is trying his best to get an exorcism but they ain't cheap. His best friend (only friend and house mate) Ophelia has a no-nonsense attitude, is an astralprojector and the only thing she cares deeply about is Mateo.
They need money bad, so the are very happy when Topher needs help. He is loaded and desperate. Nothing goes to plan.
This is an absolute escaped of a paranormal adventure. The dynamic between the characters is hilarious and interesting, I really enjoyed the interaction. They are witty and trying their best to cope with their circumstances.


I want to thank the author K. Valentin, NetGalley and the publisher for trusting me with an eARC of this bewitching book.

Before I begin, I would like to thank K. Valentin for allowing me to read a Net Galley copy of her upcoming book, An Amateur Witch’s Guide to Murder, which will be available on October 14th, 2025.

Mateo Borrero has a ton of problems he has to deal with, and they all stem from the fact that his mom trapped a demon inside of him when he was a baby. She told him to never use magic, but now that she abandoned him years ago, he figures why not make some money by speaking vaguely familiar spells in Spanish? Calling himself an Occult Specialist and doing magic is the only way he can actually have a chance to make some decent coin. When a naive nepo baby named Topher seeks him and Ophelia out to break his curse, it’s clear that the guy doesn’t know that they have no idea what they’re doing. The curse kills people around Topher, and theoretically the curse should be easy to break. It’s not. Also, Matteo might like Topher and now they got to deal with a deadly magical conspiracy on top of the fact that Matteo’s demon becomes more powerful and wants to eat people every time he performs magic. Surely demons getting some food won’t be bad if it brings in some cash right?

This book was great. You have Matteo, a sassy, clever, considerate, and handsome young man that works in retail, practices magic, and hangs out with his bestie Ophelia. You have Topher, a sweet, naive, earnest, cute, and caring young man that was born into wealth and is the equivalent of a babbling brook when he’s nervous. The dynamics between Ophelia and Matteo was perfect and throughout the book, I wanted to hug them both. Topher was such a cutie and I loved how Matteo always tried his best to calm him when the nerves set in. The magic and worldbuilding were fantastic, and the suspense kept me transfixed until the last page. Overall, if you like suspense, magic, demons, fantastic worldbuilding, amazing found family and complex characters, then I would highly recommend this book.

Another arc read here and this one had me laughing all the way through. The dry humour and anti social awkwardness is just me all over. So so relatable🤣 if youre looking for a book this Autumn thats funny witchy vibes this is the one for you !

It's an easy read for sure so ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

I laughed, I cried (for some reason) and I really wished that I knew the characters personally. Such a feeling of warmth with found family and lots of hilarious moments.

This wasn’t my usual type of read but it was nice to read about the concept of an amateur witch - not something I’ve seen in any other books. This was a story that was unlike any I’d read before. The pacing was great and I enjoyed Mateo’s snarky yet relatable narrative throughout. I enjoyed the dark humour, but the elements of horror weren’t my cup of tea.

So dark and so funny.
The narrator's voice is intense, full of wry humour and repressed emotions that keep bubbling up. He's a wonderful character, morally grey (but really trying), deeply loyal, and seriously messed up. The plot is also messy, but in the best way! It's tight, complex, and pacy without ever losing the central focus on the characters. Oh, and the romance is beautiful, understated but so real, and, you guessed it - messy.

This was a cosy possession novel. I just didn't vibe with this . I think I liked the sound of it but it just felt weird and bad vibes . I loved Mateo but this book just felt a tad dark but maybe I just didn't give it a chance. I'd definitely try thd author again though.

I’m a sucker for a good cover and this one instantly drew me in instantly! There wasn’t a time in this book that I wasn’t entertained. Mateo’s sarcasm and dark humor are amazing. The found family between Mateo and Ophelia is so sweet and really well done. Topher is an adorable little ray of sunshine that rounds out the group perfectly! This book kept me guessing until the end and I loved every minute of it.

If you love found family, demons, magic, witches, sarcastic and damaged MMCs then this book is for you!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book! My opinions are my own and are freely given.

I love paranormal romances and was especially excited to read this one, as the time travel genre is one of absolute favorites. However, I immediately had reservations when Thorn was making love potions, as she was so concerned about getting married before she turned 40. Consent is so important, and love potions do not allow for consent one bit. This is a slight spoiler, but only so people understand the consent issues in the book, but nothing happens under the influence of love potions.

It's hard enough to navigate online dating, but imagine a witch from the 1700s trying to figure it out. When she just learned she has to turn the water off after turning it on. I laughed so hard at her response to her first dick pic. Omg.

Zero smut in the book.

Loved the book.

Triggers: Child death, love potions

I was immediately intrigued by the summary of An Amateur Witch's Guide to Murder because of the combination of fantasy, mystery, and humor in a contemporary setting. I was pleasantly surprised how well all of these aspects were balanced. I loved the humor throughout the novel and how it was woven with the fantasy and mystery elements. The horror was also an additional element that I wasn't expecting, and I really enjoyed how it was incorporated. I almost wish the book was slightly more suspenseful given the murder mystery plotline, but the combination of all of these elements felt like they were all very cohesive and blended well, so I can't complain too much. The characters were interesting, and I absolutely loved the friendship between Ophelia and Mateo. The romance between Topher and Mateo was sweet, and I thought it would be a bigger focus of the plot, but I like how it was more in the background. I will say I didn't love Topher as a character and kind of wished he had more development. But overall, I enjoyed the novel a lot! It was a fun read with an interesting plot. I would definitely recommend to other fans of fantasy with a slight horror twist.

This is a great book, but an especially impressing debut novel. An Amateur Witch's Guide to Murder is a charmingly funny and shockingly heartfelt mystery/urban fantasy about two down on their magical luck best friends, roommates, and inexperienced witches trying to help (scam) a cursed but very rich guy who's unintentionally killing or maiming everyone around him. This book is exceptionally well-written, with a solid balance of plot and character development, pacing that never once failed me, and such lovable characters.

I really enjoyed both Mateo's character and his narration, especially because he is a complex character with a whole lot going on. We as the reader get to feel very close to him and his inner monologue, but at the same time his thoughts never get in the way of the actual story happening and it all flows very nicely. We get a real sense of how he feels about particularly Ophelia, and this is a strong relationship in the story that is very sweet and touching to read about. Topher is equally sweet and compelling, and the overall plot is both mysterious and grounded enough for the reader to follow along without any unnecessary confusion. The character development/exploration from all three of our main characters is super interesting to follow, though the focus does lean most heavily on Mateo.

My only critique is that I felt that we don't get to become personally close to Ophelia as her own character outside of her relationship with Mateo, even though Mateo talks to and about her quite a lot. Unlike Topher, we don't see much of Mateo considering her motives and inner struggles, and this leaves me with a sense that while I know Mateo loves her, I don't entirely know what is going on in her current life and who she truly is. I don't think this is just because she isn't the main character, because again, I didn't get this same sense with Topher. I just wish we got to see more of who she herself is beyond vague descriptions from Mateo of how much he loves her and what they are to each other, especially because she has a really interesting backstory and I'm sure has so much potential as a character based on what we do know about her.

Overall, this book is so charming and an absolute blast to read. Really hope a lot of people find this when it releases.

I received and ARC of this book for free but my review is my own.

A world of amateur witchcraft, questionable ethics, and characters so adorably weird you won't know whether to hug them or stage an intervention.

From the very beginning, this book threw me for a loop. I was constantly questioning my own reactions. Ophelia and Mateo, plotting an exploitation scheme? I should be horrified, right? Nope! I was laughing. What does it say about me that I was rooting for these problematic characters? I adore reading about questionable actions and ethics, and this book delivered in spades. It's a testament to the author's skill that they created characters I simultaneously wanted to scold and protect.

I loved this so much! Just be prepared to question your own sanity as you fall in love with these adorable weirdos. They’re delightfully strange, awkward, emotionally stunted, and yet, they never give up on trying to connect with each other. I absolutely loved reading about their clumsy attempts at intimacy. It felt so real, so human, even amidst the magic and mayhem.

The concept of an amateur witch was pure gold. We've all seen the all-knowing, all-powerful magic users, but this? This was relatable. Watching the main character stumble through their abilities, with no real guidance, was like experiencing the magic alongside them, and that made the journey all the more engaging.

And one of the things I appreciate most is how the story explores the characters' identities within a fantastical setting. Seeing how they navigate challenges specific to their gender spectrum, on top of everything else, added such a rich layer to the narrative. It's this kind of representation that makes these genres so vital and exciting.

The emotions in this book just unfolded so naturally, it was like being slowly reeled in, savoring every moment of connection and growth.

This was such a fun book!!! The cover grabbed my attention right away, the description was solid, and I liked Mateo from the very beginning. The plot felt really unique, and it was so fun getting to explore their world and play detective alongside them, trying to figure out what on earth was going on with poor Topher (who, by the way, was an absolute sweetheart and I’d do anything for him). Every time he launched into one of his anxious rambles, I died laughing. He’s so adorable.

The friendship between Mateo and Ophelia was great too, especially considering all the chaos they found themselves in. The book had a perfect mix of humor, horror, gore, and mystery. The demonic aspect added a really cool twist! It felt different, and I kept gasping and wondering what was going to happen to Mateo if they couldn’t figure things out in time.

The chapters were short, around five pages each (some longer, some shorter), which made it way too easy to fall into the “Okay, just one more chapter… What’s five more pages?” trap. I flew through it and couldn’t put it down😂

Thank you Alcove Press and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I really liked this one! Matteo is broke and trying to raise enough money to get the demon out of him. He doesn’t know why his mom put a demon in him and she disappeared so it’s not like he can ask. He does need it out and quickly as he can feel it taking greater control. He’s left with no choice but to use his magic to help people for money, only problem is this seems to feed the demon more. Then he meets Topher his disaster of a new coworker, who also needs his magical help. He’s cursed and people around him keep dying. He’ll pay Matteo handsomely, which is all Matteo needs to hear. As they delve into what is going on disaster ensues and maybe Matteo’s more drawn to Topher than he should be. Can they figure out what Topher’s curse is and who cursed him? Can Matteo rid himself or a demon before it consumes him? Full of snark and whit which I absolutely adore! I love Matteo, Topher, and Ophelia! K. Valentin’s story is fast paced, humorous, bloody, and a definite good time! Highly recommend!