A Letter to Three Witches

November 1, 2021
Bass (Life Is Sweet) delivers an enchanting paranormal rom-com replete with laugh-out-loud banter. The Engel cousins are forbidden to practice magic, as punishment for the actions of their great-great-grandfather, whose magic accidentally caused the Dust Bowl. But Tannith—the troublemaker of the “cousin coven,” which also includes Gwen, Milo, and Trudy—leaves magical mayhem in her wake when she dramatically departs the cousins’ hometown of Zenobia, N.Y., leaving behind a letter informing the trio that she’s placed a love spell on one of their significant others, who’ll soon be joining her in New York City. Trudy, whose marriage to her husband, Laird, is crumbling, realizes she has a penchant for accidental enchantments. Milo’s been “dabbling” in spellwork ever since meeting his mayoral candidate boyfriend, Brett. And while Gwen works through insecurities after moving in with her boyfriend, Daniel, she discovers a powerful magical strength. But their illegal spellcasting may incur the wrath of the Grand Council of Witches. Tannith makes for a flat antagonist—the quintessential wicked witch—but as the tale takes on an almost episodic form, moving between quirky blunders, it achieves sitcom-level humor that will have readers cackling. The ending feels a bit tidy, but it’s a charming ride to get there. Fans of Practical Magic will be delighted. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

June 1, 2022

Gwen and her cousins Trudy and Milo all receive the same ominous letter from Gwen's adopted sister, Tannith, who claims to have bewitched one of their partners and will run away with him at the end of the week. Gwen's family is forbidden to use magic ever since a spell cast by their great-great-grandfather wreaked havoc on their hometown of Zenobia, NY, but not everyone is following the rules laid forth by the Grand Council of Witches. While Gwen tries to discover which boyfriend Tannith enchanted, she also worries that her feelings for newcomer Jeremy, who could be a Watcher sent by the Council, are caused by an accidentally enchanted cupcake from Trudy's bakery. Narrator Emily Durante's dry narration keeps the frothy story moving forward in this contemporary witch tale that is light on worldbuilding but as easy to consume as one of the magical cupcakes from the Buttered Biscuit Bakery. The chapters narrated by Nick Mondelli from the perspective of a magical cat add the most interest. VERDICT Bass's (Life Is Sweet) latest is recommended only for collections with high demand for light paranormal romance or as a read-alike for Erin Sterling's The Ex Hex.--Elizabeth Gabriel

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