Review of A Letter to Three Witches by Elizabeth Bass

This is a pleasant fun and easy reading light-hearted story about a family of Witches who have been banned from practising magic for the past 150years thanks to the behaviour of their great great grandfather! Set in the sleepy town of Zenobia, New York the three cousins now have to learn to navigate their powers. Perfect for people who like paranormal romantic comedies. Recommended.

A Letter to Three Witches

Pub Date: Jan 25, 2022

What a fun, light, quirky read. This story is about a coven of witches, all cousins and family members, who are not allowed to practice magic. The family has been punished from magic for 150 years! Talk about sins of the father. But what happens when you're pushed to practice? What happens when someone throws a wrench in your plans and life by way of a cryptic letter? You kind of have no choice but to do everything you can to protect your life as you know it.

Magical mishaps, talking animals, enchanted cupcakes?! What is not to love here?

I gave this book three stars because, for me, it was a good and enjoyable book, but it wasn't a book that I would tell my friends - "OMG you HAVE to read this!" This would be the perfect fall read for the witchy spirit.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3/5 ⭐️: This was such a fun book to read. The plot was adorable and was incredibly feel-good. There weren't any disturbing scenes or parts of the book that made me worried for any of the characters. Sometimes it's nice to just read something that is happy and cute! There were some parts of the storyline that confused me, especially when it would switch between the POV of a person to the POV of a cat. The switch was hard to follow, but once you were a few sentences in it was clear who was talking/thinking.

I gave this 3 stars because the ending wrapped up very neatly (which I appreciate) but also felt a little rushed based on the adventure that took place throughout the entire book. Regardless, this was a fun book and I liked it!

Okay, so this one was really fun and unpredictable. I didn’t expect it to be as absurd as it was and had expected something darker and more mysterious but this was light and entertaining.

The sibling dynamics was really interesting and unique and the fact that it has witches is always a plus point. It was really a relaxing read and I enjoyed it a lot.

A fun, easy to read cozy story based on a modern day witch family (who aren’t allowed to be witchy!). It’s medium paced, well written with likeable characters. As with anything magical/fantasy, there’s a few plot holes or things that make you question why they do (or didn’t do) what they did.

There’s plenty of misunderstandings and mishaps that keep the trio of cousins busy and trying to get things back to normal. There’s also love interests, family revelations and enchanted cupcakes to keep the plot going.

A good light, funny read perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

Spelled cupcakes and hexes go awry in this unputdownable tale of three cousin witches who all receive the same letter from their “family member” stating she’s going to be taking one of their significant others by the end of the week.

In a ploy to determine which partner their black sheep of a family member has stuck her claws into, they end up causing an all out non stop fun joyride of entertainment.

This book was cute, quirky, and a quick read. If you are looking for something with more substance and not so much fun and silliness with some things that are unbelievable, this probably isn’t for you. But if you want something lighthearted and fun, which I believe is what the publishers are going for, even with the synopsis, then this is great for that. I thoroughly enjoyed following along with Gwen and her family through their magical lives.

This book started with a letter, like obviously look at the title! It rarely happens that I laugh at the beginning of a book and I laughed alot while reading this book. Gwen and her family are witches and for some reason banned to use magic. So basically the letter endangered the love life of one of the cousins (witches) which came from another cousin (adopted sister of Gwen). But the question was whose love life was gonna be ruined? And did the adopted sister used magic?

I loved that the author used the word "Abracadabra" because it really helped bringing light to the purpose of the book. I mean hello, you can't write a book about witches without using abracadabra and that too if you want it to be humorous!

This book was amazing, funny and fast paced! There were alot of drama and things that weren't funny -_-
I think that it is safe to say that this book got me out a reading slump, but I highly recommend it for the amazing piece that it is on itself.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Kensington books for this amazing Arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to the ARC shared by Net Galley, read the book, ‘A Letter to Three Witches’. It is a light read, with hilarious moments. There were good twists in the tale but seemed to have ended fast. The end suggests a sequel. Lets see if Tannith returns..:)

A Letter to Three Witches by Elizabeth Bass begins when three members of a witchy family receive a mysterious letter from a not-so loved cousin.

What Works in this Book:
*Witchiness and miscast spells—Let’s just say some of these witches need a refresher course. And exactly how do you explain a missing husband, an extra rabbit, a box of toads, and a newfound and decidedly offbeat relative to the nosy neighbors?

*A snarky Aunt—Loved her. Every family needs one!

*Fast paced and doesn’t take itself too seriously

*Pretty good ending!

What Doesn’t Work So Well:
*I know I said that not taking itself too seriously was a good thing, but the book does fall dangerously close (for me) to a sit-com kind of formulaic witch. For me, it is just a bit too much slapstick low comedy—which is fun, but unfulfilling.

*The main villain—the mysterious witches council which has imposed a lengthy curse on the family—never really gels. The witch who is supposed to be the informant isn’t around much and the situation seems loose around the edges—so the premise needs a boost.

*Very much worth a read. Entertaining and light-hearted.

Thanks NetGalley and Kensington Books for this eARC of A Letter to Three Witches by Elizabeth Bass, in exchange for my honest review.

I would classify this as a fun and light fantasy romp, but not so much a romance what with all romantic relationships dead, on the brink, or at least threatened from the jump. Definitely heavy on the Bewitched vibes, with a little Halloween Hocus Pocus. A very easy read, with dual narration by our protagonist Gwen, and Griz the familiar of our antagonist Tannith. Not much in the way of character development, but a fun and twisty plot that seems to set up a sequel or series. Esme was by far the most interesting character, so I could totally see her as the next protagonist.

Ok- so I will start off this is not my usual genre- usually read Sci-if/fantasy BUT it was such a good read!
It was a nice light read and fun. You have 3 cousins who are dealing with a lot of things- all happening within one week of each other too!

It was quarky, funny, had drama and overall just a great read. I agree that it’s very much a Betwitcher/Practical magic.

Even though the first chapter threw me off by leagues, it was a fun and easy read. Originally I planned to read it in smaller bits as a side read but ended up finishing it in one sitting. It has some Hocus-Pocus and Practical Magic vibes, small town America at its prime, a not-so-slight obsession with interior design, and everything someone can expect from a chick lit.

It's… very American. And I don't know why it was bothering me so much but in this story I found it a little distracting. I get it, it is set in America, in a small town, yet somehow the narrative reminds you of this fact almost every 5 pages. And I personally felt like that was a lot.

The plot was simple, easy to follow, sometimes even predictable but it can be easily blamed on the genre. The characters are fun even though they were a little over the top sometimes. I found Aunt Esme the most interesting of them all with her curse and determination to still do her own thing.

Nevertheless, I think it is an enjoyable read for someone who loves light-hearted chick lit with a bit of magic. It's the kind of book I'd pick up at the airport to read through the flight.

What would you do if your husband was turned into a toad--let him loose or try to find the magic spell to reverse it? If you came from a witch family, you would call your cousins for help. Even though this book is full of non-practicing witches you will find it magical. This book was funny, bordering on silly but I tore through it with glee. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

From the description: Nearly a century ago, Gwen Engel’s great-great-grandfather cast a spell with catastrophic side-effects. As a result, the Grand Council of Witches forbade his descendants from practicing witchcraft. The Council even planted anonymous snitches called Watchers in the community to report any errant spellcasting…

Yet magic may still be alive and not so well in Zenobia. Gwen and her cousins, Trudy and Milo, receive a letter from Gwen’s adopted sister, Tannith, informing them that she’s bewitched one of their partners and will run away with him at the end of the week. While Gwen frets about whether to trust her scientist boyfriend, currently out of town on a beetle-studying trip, she’s worried that local grad student Jeremy is secretly a Watcher doing his own research.

** I think there may be an issue of audience and reader expectations. Those who enjoy fun, flirty romances with some light supernatural elements will likely enjoy this book. I was expecting something a bit more grim, or something like the recent Sabrina adaptation on Netflix. Fans of that show will likely still enjoy this if they're looking for something more lighthearted.

I was hoping this book would give easy-going, sweet and spooky vibes. I wanted a "Hallmark" version of Halloween, and that is exactly what I got! A coven of 4 cousin witches comes from a family banned from practicing magic go through the trials and tribulations of everyday life. I loved this slightly spooky tale of family, love, with a cherry of magic on top! Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a copy of this book for an honest review.

A LETTER TO THREE WITCHES - Elizabeth Bass
Kensington
ASIN: B093XZ524L
ISBN-10: 1-49673-432-7
ISBN-13: 978-1-49673-432-7
January 25, 2022
Fantasy & Comedy Romance

Zenobia, New York

Four cousin witches share a great-great-grandfather who caused the Grand Council of Witches to issue an edict forbidding his descendants from practicing witchcraft for a hundred and fifty years. At least they were not expelled from Wiccan society. His witchcraft caused the Dust Bowl in 1930 (despite what non-witch people believe caused it). The four call themselves the cousin coven. Trudy is the oldest, married for twenty years to a college professor, but lately, the pair has had some issues. Milo is a landscape architect and his partner, Brett, is running for Zenobia's mayor. Gwen has her own clean-up business, Abracadabra Odd Jobs, helping her clients sort their overloaded attics and garages. She is living in her boyfriend Daniel's apartment. The fourth cousin is Tannith, who was adopted by Gwen's parents when her own parents died in an accident. Gwen does not like Tannith, who has done cruel things to her in the past. Tannith is in the process of doing another vicious act. Each of her cousins will receive a letter from her telling them she is leaving Zenobia for New York City, and that her new 'squeeze' is a guy who lives with one of them.

The story starts from the viewpoint of Griz, Tannith's familiar, a black cat, who continues to periodically talk to the reader. While Trudy, Milo, and Gwen worry about their relationships, dreadful accidents take place. Things the three want to keep secret from everyone else, especially other witches, lest their unintentional use of magic is discovered.

This is an engaging story with great characters involved in both funny and dramatic episodes which anyone who likes witch stories will greatly enjoy.

Robin Lee

This was a fun Halloween romp. Take a coven of witches forbidden to use magic, throw in a troublemaker, a cat who watches too much tv, multiple romances and some delicious cupcakes, mix and see what happens. Readers of cozy mysteries, Hocus Pocus and/or Frozen will enjoy this book.

In the nice city of Zenobia, Gwen and her cousins are forbidden from practicing any kind of magic (Thank you Grandpa.) After a letter from Gwen's adoptive sister telling them that she has enchanted one of their partners and the she plans on running away with them at the end of the month - or week, can"t remember.- With that, magic keeps gettting into their lives, Gwen gets suspicious of her boyfriend who is on a insect trip ... He is a scientist studying insects. And she starts getting feeling for Jeremy a grad student is a Watcher of the Council of Witches ... Well Everything is a mess and it is lovely !

It was a nice read. I was not transcended it by the writing, there wasn't really anything special about it. But it is a nice cozy read, with attractive characters. It was funny too made me laugh out loud a couple of times.
So yes, I liked it.
I was fan of the visuals and the colors (if that makes any sense.) used and felt throughout the books.

It is nice read, not specially my type. But I had a nice time

Thanks NetGalley and Kensington Books for this eARC of A Letter to Three Witches by Elizabeth Bass.

This was a cute book focusing on family, love, and a little bit of witchcraft. Our book switches between the perspective of Griz, a black cat familiar to our antagonist Tannith, and Gwen, Tannith's cousin and recipient of one of the three letters. The letters are sent to Gwen, our protagonist, Trudy, and Milo. Tannith is up to no good, promising that by the end of the week she is going to abscond with one of her cousin's partners. From here, Gwen is shaken trying to figure out if her beau Daniel is the wayward man or if she should be more worried about one of her cousin's men.

As the week unravels we learn more about Gwen and her witchy family......and how they've been banned from doing witchcraft. Soon it is clear that at least one of the cousins is practicing magic and strange things are happening in the college town of Zenobia.

I thought this was a cute book, though my ARC had some grammatical errors and the chapters didn't line up with the pages sometimes. I expect this is just an editing issue and should be solved before final publication. There could have been more character development for Gwen, it seemed like she just instantly fell in love with whatever pretty man was paying attention to her. For a character that was supposed to be 29 she seemed very naïve and like she never questioned anything in her life. Trudy was honestly the stand out cousin for me. She really took charge of her life and the challenges she was facing both magically and personally.

I would love to read a sequel of this novel and would like to see more character growth as well as chapters from our nonmagical characters.