If you are looking for a cozy book to cuddle up with this fall look no further than, A Curious Kind Of Magic by Mara Rutherford.

This book was whimsical, cozy and will take its readers on a magical, grand adventure!

Willow is the orphaned daughter of the late owner to the town’s oddity shop. Known to the local townspeople as crazy and a swindler for selling “nonmagical” items Willow is left with the burden of her father’s bad reputation and failing shop. She is prickly and refuses to let anyone get close to her. Her only goal is to keep her father’s legacy of the shop afloat. Aside from her prickly exterior and questionable judgment she is an FMC you can’t help but fall in love with and will be rooting for her every step of the way.

In this story you will find themes of friendship, love, self-discovery and learning it’s ok to lean on those closest to you when in need.

3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Macmillan Young Listeners for this advanced copy! You can pick up A Curious Kind of Magic on October 21, 2025.

This was a very cute Ya fantasy! I love the way Mara Rutherford explores magic and curses in this world, and the characters she introduces have lovely dynamics. You have Willow, our FMC and owner of a curiosities shop full of formerly magical items. Brianna, a cursed outsider looking for a cure (and some human connection). And finally, you have Finlay, Willow's longtime friend, who may or may not be hinting at something more than friendship.

Together, the three embark on a quest to find Brianna's cure and help Willow save her dad's shop. Magical shenanigans ensue, as well as a surprisingly emotional ending as Willow learns some truths about her departed father.

While I enjoyed the vibes and overall character growth, I do wish the book's pacing had been a bit better. It felt like we oscillated really quickly between high-stakes action moments and the slower character interactions in between. The plot also moved all over the place, from Willow learning about Bri's powers to opening the shop to receiving threats and blackmail to hunting down a dragon egg to becoming a dragon? The whole ending happened way too quickly, in my opinion (especially the truth about Willo and Bri's curse solution).

Overall, though, this was an enjoyable book, and I think if you want cozy vibes with a hint of action and friends-to-lovers romance, you should pick it up.

Take my review with a grain of salt, as I really struggled with this novel due to personal reasons (grief over losing a father). Initially, it was almost too much to handle, and I almost put the book down. I don't blame the book for this; it is not overly heavy in grief. I personally was not ready to deal with it.

I still think this book is magical and cozy, and that many people will enjoy it, so I based my rating and review on this fact, not my own personal reaction to the story. The writing style is perfect for the genre, and the audiobook was well done. I think many readers will love both Willow and Brianna as the main characters. This is a great addition to the cozy fantasy catalogue, and I would love to give this author another shot with a book, hopefully not so heavy in the grief. I do think the beginning could be seen as slow for some readers (as the plot doesn't start to really advance until halfway through the book).

Overall, I hope many readers will give this a chance!

Cozy YA fantasy novel that’s filled with magic and love-able characters. This audiobook was easy to listen to and I think the narrator did a good job with this story!

The FMC Willow meets Brianna after she comes into her shop one day and soon they become business partners. Willow owns a magic shop but most things aren’t magic until Brianna touches them. So they work together.

YA fantasy lovers will love this easy to read book!!

What an absolutely lovely audiobook! A Curious Kind of Magic is the perfect autumnal, witchy story to listen to while taking a nice fall walk, or sitting outside with a hot tea and watching the leaves fall. The narration was perfect, she captured the voice of a young, confused and grieving young woman perfectly. She truly mad the story come to life. The story felt magical, atmospheric and just.... witchy! The main character, Willow, is trying to save the magical curiosities shop, she inherited from her father. He was a man with a not-so-good reputation and lots of debt. And his store was stock full of useless items.. or at least it seems to be. The story follows Willow as she .tries to make the business a success or even just make rent. She has a best friend named, Finlay, who she just might be in love with and beautiful mysterious new girl has just come to town. Oh yeah, and an object in her store just woke up and started talking to her.

I absolutely loved this book. The found family aspect was beautiful, the love story was sweet and the adventure was thrilling.

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! Listening to the audiobook was the way to go. Very atmospheric and cozy. I definitely recommend listening to it!

A curious kind of gaslighting is what this was LMFAO. Willow really needed to catch hands for all the lying she was out here doing ☠️
But I applaud her ‘cause home girl lost her dad, was about to lose the store, her “friends”, everything— SHE LOCKED IN FR. Miss Scam Likely 📞

Finn was down bad fr. She must’ve been the only girl in that village LOL, but when Bri comes along… It’s up for the only girl in the village ‘cause there’s now TWO. I really liked Bri.
Now THAT was a girl who had reason to push everyone away & who deserved sm better!! Omg.
Hands. These adults would be catching HANDS.

This was an absolutely fun story though. Anything marketed as Howl’s Moving Castle rocks my world & I would LOVE a sequel. I want to know what else these band of misfits get into next!!
The adventure was me waiting to see how Willow will gaslight everyone into doing her bidding & I was sat all the way down taking notes ✍🏽
Anna Burnett did a wonderful job narrating!!