An enchanting novel about a witch who has a second chance to get her magical powers—and her life—back on track, from the national bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches .

Sera Swan was once one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her magical Guild. Now she ( slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps Aunt Jasmine run an inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests’ shenanigans, tries to keep the talking fox in check, and longs for the magical future she lost.

When she learns about an old spellbook that holds the secret to restoring her power, she turns to Luke Larsen, a gorgeous historian who might just be able to help her unlock the book’s mysteries. Luke, who has his own reasons for staying at the inn, never planned on getting involved in the madcap goings-on around him and certainly had no intention of letting certain grumpy innkeepers past his icy walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he not only agrees to help, but also finds himself thawing .

Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone… and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.

This tale of found family, witchcraft, and magic hits the sweet spot of being just cozy enough without turning saccharine, and includes enough silliness to make a reader smile even when there’s quite a bit of sadness too.

Sera Swan was once one of the most powerful witches in Britain:

Once, she had been glorious. Once, she had bent the universe to her will.

She wasn’t that person anymore.

Sera’s incredible magical powers were identified when she was ten years old, and for a time in her youth, she was trained directly by Albert Grey, head of the Guild and the most powerful magical person in the country. But at age 15, Sera uses her powers to resurrect her beloved Aunt Jasmine, something strictly forbidden… and in doing so, drains nearly all of her own powers. She abruptly finds herself bereft of her great gifts, and even worse, exiled from the magical community.

As the story picks up fifteen years later, Sera runs the inn that her former family home has been converted into. It’s shabby and quirky, but thanks to a spell cast by Sera in her younger days, it acts as a beacon to anyone needing sanctuary, and is unfindable for those with bad intentions. Along with Sera and Jasmine, the inn has taken on permanent lodgers, including Sera’s young magically-gifted cousin Theo, an older woman named Mathilda who loves to garden, and a noble young man named Nicholas who spends his days working as a knight at the local Medieval Fair, and who embraces his knighthood even during his off-hours.

The inn is also home to Clemmie, a witch trapped in fox form, who originally showed Sera the resurrection spell. Clemmie is waiting for Sera to get her powers back so she can release Clemmie from the curse that turned her into a fox — but there’s little hope of that, since Sera has no access to the magical books that might hold the answer.

When Luke Larsen shows up at the inn with his nine-year-old sister Posy, a bright, eager girl whose parents don’t know what to do with her, as her autism interferes with her understanding that she needs to hide her magic from the non-magical world, Sera welcomes the pair into their mismatched, oddball group. Luke is a magical history scholar, and he offers Sera insights into how she might finally restore her own powers — but there are risks involved. Complicating matters is the growing attraction between Luke and Sera, who each carry a lifetime’s worth of hurt and rejection, and find it hard to open up and trust anyone.

The story provides plenty of ups and downs as Sera pursues the restoration spell, while also navigating threats from the Guild, her found family’s dynamics, and the sense that Luke is always half-way out the door. The magical elements combine nicely with the more personal parts of the story, and the cast of characters is quirky, likable, and immensely entertaining.

As with this author’s previous book, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, much of the book feels fairy-tale-esque in tone. There’s a sense of wonder and delight. I’d say this book is strictly PG-13, except there are some f-bombs, sexy talk, and one sex scene that feel tonally different than the rest of the book; otherwise, this could easily have been a story to share with younger readers.

Sera goes through a lot, and the story does explore the darker side of her loss and depression, as well as the grief she feels over her lost magic and the pain she’s carried since childhood from being rejected by her own parents. Still, while not sugar-coated in any way, these sadder elements are balanced by the book’s overall cheeriness and whimsy, and it’s hard not feel joy while reading about the quirky family that’s formed on its own at the inn.

The ending wraps up the story quite well, although it left me a bit sad. There was nothing wrong with the writing or the ending itself, but it wasn’t the way rose-colored-glasses-me wished it would end. I actually think it made a lot of sense for the author to give the characters this ending, showing that happiness and love come in many different forms, and that life doesn’t have to turn out exactly as you’d hoped in order for you to end up with what you truly want… and yet (without getting into spoilers), I kept hoping for that last little bit of perfection that (let’s be honest) probably would have been a step too far for the story. Silly me…

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping is a fast, fanciful read that never lags. The lovable characters, lovely setting, and funny sense of detail (there’s a room at the inn that rains apple blossom tea once per week, as just one minor example) make this a delightful, appealing reading escape.

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