Witchful Thinking introduces us to Freya Grove, a seaside small town in New Jersey. Kindhearted, curvy Black teacher Lucy has lived here her whole life, as have her sisters and cousins. She is a witch and has a little tea-reading business on the side. She is feeling unaccomplished with her high school reunion looming at the end of summer. She unexpectedly runs into her former crush and friend, Alex, who is a very handsome Black merman. His resurgence kicks her overthinking brain into high gear. He returns home every so often, but they haven’t seen each other since he abruptly left on graduation night. He never wanted to break her heart, so he never went down that road with her. Instead, he chose to travel the world and work as a photographer. He’s reeling over a broken engagement. Back for his birthday, his parents impulsively gift him a house…right across the street from Lucy.
Simultaneously, Lucy and her coven do a wish spell handed down by their Nana. She wishes for excitement in her life, and before she knows it, she’s signed up for a 10K race, a baking contest, and Alex is thrust back into her life. She tries to reverse the spell, but eventually realizes she has to ride it out. Alex needs to renovate his house for sale with Lucy’s help. And she needs a date to her cousin’s wedding. The two grow closer with each week, but assume there’s an expiration date. The novel ponders whether the two have a second chance at love. Is it a coincidence, magic, or fate? Whatever it is, they can’t keep their hands off each other all summer long.
I’ve been meaning to start the Elemental Love series from Celestine Martin for months. Alex and Lucy clearly like each other, but their overthinking got in the way. Even though it’s the story of a witch and a merman, it was a very relatable second-chance romance. Their moonlight kiss scene was steamy with enough yearning on both sides. The small-town vibes were fun, featuring supernatural and human diversity. People are nosy, but welcoming for the most part. I liked the psychic at the hardware store who recommended the perfect paint color scheme for Alex. I’m excited to meet more characters in the series. Lucy’s cousin brought some negativity and story conflict as the bridezilla. I felt a bit sad for her by the end, to be honest. But things aren’t always rainbows when it comes to family. I’m definitely curious about how that family dynamic evolves.
This is a lovely small-town romance where you’ll meet interesting characters, some of whom have magic or are supernatural creatures. It has humor, a throughline of self-discovery for characters, and a sweet romance. Not quite as campy as Molly Harper’s Mystic Bayou series, but just as fun.