[A quick note: This was not part of my regularly scheduled TBR but I found the paperback on Book Outlet’s site and snatched it up. I’ve seen it around here and there, so I was intrigued. Admittedly, like with most books that have cute covers, I didn’t really pay much attention to the blurb. So…I didn’t realize it was a second chance romance. I’m kinda glad I didn’t know that going in, or I might not have picked it up.]
“𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐱 𝐯𝐨𝐝𝐤𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭”—Erin Sterling
This was exactly what I needed! I wanted something fun and charming to break up the intense reads on my autumnal TBR. There’s romance, a small town setting (in my home state of Georgia!!!) a charming welsh MMC (hubba hubba), and a spooky curse. I had a lot of fun reading this one.
When Vivi goes through a bad breakup, she unknowingly curses her ex. He returns to wales, none the wiser, and continues on with his life. Nearly a decade later, when Rhys returns to their sleepy mountain town, the curse activates. It spreads through the town, turning magic on its head in the form of creepy skulls and ghosts, and even a talking cat! Old emotions flare hot, and both Vivi and Rhys are stuck together, trying to fix the mess.
Okay, side note: can we appreciate that this MMC is named RHYS!?!
There was a lot I liked about this one, but also a few things I wasn’t…crazy about. I loved the small town setting, the seasonal autumn feel, the witchy vibes, the excellent dialogue, charming characters, and Sir Pursival the cat. That’s PURRRsival. Get it? Hehe! The storyline centers around a curse that spreads through the town and must be broken. That aspect was SO MUCH FUN!
Dare I say, it overshadowed the romance at times, and frankly, I was okay with that because…. I wasn’t crazy about the romance. A little, but not a lot. Why? I don’t like “second chance romances.” In fact, I strongly dislike them. It’s my least favorite romance trope. I want to see two characters fall in love. With second chance romances, I’ve missed some of their best moments. Sure, they have similar ones again, but…still. UGH.
This one was done decently?? Normally, I won’t even read a SCR, but this one I enjoyed enough to keep going. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t love the story as much as I wanted to.
I must note that Rhys’s character was freaking charming—adorably so. Super funny, great witty remarks, and enjoyable to follow. But, I didn’t fall in love with him like I often do with MMCs. I think this had a lot to do with the trope. I found myself likening the actual plot more than the romance and that NEVER happens. Fortunately, the plot was so good, that it made the story.
My only other gripe was…it felt a little too long. It started feeling drawn out around the 60% mark? That might be because I wasn’t in love with the romance? Hard to say, but I felt like it could have been (should have been) a smidge shorter in length.
Will I read the second book? Yes. Why? Because it’s not going to be a second chance romance, which means I’ll probably like it a lot more. Plus, I’m super curious about Wells (Rhys’s welsh brother) and really eager to read a romance around him. I think I’m going to like him even more than Rhys.
𝐌𝐘 𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆: 𝟒/𝟓⭐️