Spellbound by Murder: A Mystic Hollow Bookshop Mystery by Stacie Ramey

A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book! Look for this book in stores or your local library on March 10,2026.

This cozy mystery is set in the magic-filled, small town Mystic Hollow. Veronica and her daughter, Phoebe, move back to help Veronica's grandmother with her bookshop, and to run the fall literary festival.

Veronica, a hopeful writer, uses her connections to get a well known author, Adam, to headline the festival. Her daughter and Gran work a bit of magic on her in hopes of Veronica becoming open to love again. When it works, she agrees to meet Adam after the evening events. However, things go south, and the town experiences it's first major crime in over 30 years-- a murder!

Veronica, Gran, and Phoebe have to work to clear Veronica's name, as she was the prime suspect. With so many people at the festival, it's sure to be a tough case to crack.

My opinions-
While I appreciate the charming mystery, the book relied too much on Gilmore Girls. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Gilmore Girls fan, and binge it each fall. A few throwbacks to the show would have been perfect, but it felt more like a bunch of episodes smashed together at times. The nod to the best tacos in Connecticut was good, but there were too many times the dialogue felt ripped straight from the show. There were times it was more than inspired by.

Was it cute? Absolutely! Would I recommend it? Maybe. 3/5 stars.

Spellbound by Murder is a charming start to a cozy mystery series filled with family secrets, small-town drama, and just a touch of magic. When a murder shakes up Mystic Hollow, the bookshop at the heart of town becomes more than a place for stories, it becomes the center of a mystery that needs solving.

I really enjoyed how the author wove together the cozy atmosphere of the bookstore, the relatable struggles of the protagonist, and the mystery’s twists and turns. The pacing is smooth, the suspects are believable, and the touch of magical realism gives the story a unique flavor. While I guessed parts of the mystery early on, the journey was still engaging and fun.

This is a light, entertaining read that’s perfect for fans of cozy mysteries with quirky towns, strong family ties, and just enough suspense to keep you guessing. I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes next.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was cute, but I have to be honest, it felt like the author stole an episode of Gilmore Girls. While I can appreciate all the similarities, it was too much. It’s a great story, great characters, just, too much like the show.