A witch hired to ethically haunt a small-town B&B instead finds herself spellbound by her non-magical client in this cozy and enchanting sapphic romance.
Steadily losing clients to the new DIY-magic shop on the other side of town, Pippa Ainsley is getting desperate. Instead of hiring the witch to correct their magical maladies, local mundanes have been taking their chances with the cheaper—and unpredictable—crystals and herb blends. So when Pippa’s best friend hires her to inspect his newly acquired bed-and-breakfast for ghosts, she doesn’t think twice about it.
That is, until she learns that his unfairly attractive co-owner, Elle Thompson, doesn’t want Pippa to rid their business of spirits. She wants Pippa to give them an edge over the competition by haunting their B&B.
It’s the perfect challenge for Pippa’s experimental magic, but just because she could figure it out, doesn’t mean it’s a smart or safe idea. But Elle is persistent, and the financial boost could save her own business if Pippa succeeds. Soon, Pippa finds herself testing the limits of her magic… and her ability to stop the growing attraction she feels toward Elle, a woman with a painful secret of her own.
I was not expecting this book to be as emotionally deep as it ended up being but I absolutely loved it. We follow Pippa, who’s struggling to keep her business afloat while also feeling with trauma caused by her family. She is approached by her best friend asking her to help with his new B & B, but with a twist, he and his business partner want the B & B to be haunted and Pippa is the witch they feel can help them.
Pippa struggles a lot with feeling like people actually want or value her relationship, due to trauma from her family and feelings of being cast aside/abandonment. This is a common thread that definitely affects her throughout the story. Xander and Elle definitely have their own trauma and issues that they are affected by, but it’s really Pippa’s story and her overcoming her insecurities. There is a ton of growth and emotional depth, especially in the last quarter of the book. The relationship between Pippa and Elle is a little slow burn, a little angsty especially from Pippa’s point of view, but when things start ramping up their attraction is undeniable…which of course opens its own can of worms.
I really liked how the different threads of the story resolved at the end, it really felt like Pippa and Elle both processed some of their trauma and grief and were able to be honest with each other (and a bit humble).
Thank you to Berkley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. With All My Haunted Heart just came out, so make sure to pick up a copy!
Happy reading!
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The Wandering Wordsmith 