I might be a big fan of high fantasy, but every once in a while, I get an itch to read a fun supernatural story–usually featuring vampires or witches. Which is why I knew I would love Modern Girl’s Guide To Magic by Linsey Hall when I first picked it up, and I was right.
A light and charming story about a witch with wonky powers trying to prove herself, The Modern Girl’s Guide To Magic by Linsey Hall is a fun cozy read with just the right sprinkling of magic and romance.
Table of Contents
~ Synopsis: The Modern Girl’s Guide To Magic by Linsey Hall ~
So here’s the deal—I’m a magical disaster. A witch from a family of witches, and the only one whose magic blows up in her face. Which is why I came up with my rules… 1. Never get involved with magic 2. If you must, do not enter a competition to win the biggest magical fortune in England 3. And definitely don’t fall for Callan Hawthorne, the sexy billionaire mage who you’ve hated for years.
So how the heck do I end up in a situation that promises to break all those rules? It’s the only way to save Seaside Spells, my family’s magical potion shop. But it’s cool. When I go back home to Charming Cove—a village of ancient pubs and foul-mouthed familiars—I will totally ignore Witch Weekly’s Sexiest Man of the Year. I’ll win the competition, and if I’m lucky, I won’t turn myself into a toad in the process. This’ll be fine. It’ll all be fine. Riiiight.
The Modern Girl’s Guide to Magic is a fun, light romantic comedy full of laughter, love, and magical hijinks. It’s the first in a series of stand-alone romances set in the seaside village of Charming Cove.
Ratings
Release Date: 27th September, 2022 Trigger Warnings: Death, violence and gore, animal cruelty
~ The Modern Girl’s Guide To Magic Book Review ~
Although pitched as an adult romance, the best thing about The Modern Girl’s Guide To Magic isn’t the chemistry between our main characters, Callan and Aria. Rather, it was the world-building that had me hooked. Linsey Hall created such a beautifully detailed, quaint village of Charming Cove, that even before reaching the half-way mark, I wanted to teleport myself there.
It’s very rare for me to want to keep reading a book because of it’s setting, but that’s just how brilliant the world building was in The Modern Girl’s Guide To Magic. While I loved this book because of the story and the characters, I definitely hope there will be more books in the series because I would love to revisit the world of Charming Cove again.
Which brings me to the second strongest point in the book: the characters. From our feisty protagonist Aria, a witch with huge potential but zero talent, to her quirky Grandmother, her familiar Boris (who happens to be a badger), all of the characters in this book were vividly memorable and full of life. I loved the supporting cast as well–from Aria’s best friend Tabitha, to her firecracker niece Catrina.
But alas, the only person who didn’t really win any points from me was the love interest Callan. He was the stereotypical misunderstood millionaire playboy, and even though several chapters of the book where from his perspective, it was difficult to empathize with him the way I was able to empathize with Aria.
I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the romance—sure, there was some fun cute moments between the two, but overall, I wasn’t sold on their chemistry or in the development of their relationship.
And while the plot was definitely intriguing—a high stakes competition among witches where the winner inherits the prized magical gardens of Lionel Sparrow–I felt that the tasks, although interesting, did not have high enough stakes. That’s not to say the main characters did not have enough struggles–just that they weren’t extreme enough for me to find the story truly exciting or adventurous.
All things considered, The Modern Girl’s Guide To Magic by Linsey Hall was a fun lightweight story with just the right amount of charm to keep me turning the pages. I definitely look forward to more books in the series because I loved the world-building and the characters, and if you are also looking for a fluffy story where the underdog becomes the champion, then you definitely enjoy this one.
~ Meet The Author: Linsey Hall ~
Before becoming a writer, Linsey was an archaeologist who studied shipwrecks in all kinds of water, from the tropics to muddy rivers (and she has a distinct preference for one over the other). After a decade of tromping around in search of old bits of stuff, she settled down to start penning her own adventure novels and is freaking delighted that people seem to like them. Since life is better with a little (or a lot of) magic, she writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own (my opinions are not for sale anyway). Thank you so much to Linsey Hall, Bonnie Doon Press and NetGalley for giving me a free copy of this book. <3
Enjoy cute, fluffy paranormal or witchy romances? Share your top, favorite recommendations in the comments below, and let me know what you think of this book too!