Love a cute magic book this one was a little too much world building and woah big stakes for me but I think that’s on me. I was just looking for an easy read and this was a lot

I started Big Little Spells with high hopes, but sadly I DNF at 60% because I wasn’t vibing with it. The cover is so cute and I totally understand that just because this wasn’t a perfect fit for myself doesn’t mean that it might be the next favourite to someone else. I felt that the writing was poor, I didn’t care for the characters or their development, and I felt that the plot was lacking.

I absolutely love Hazel Beck.

This series is the biggest warm hug for me. 5 stars all around.

I’ll be honest I forgot I never reviewed this one, and it’s slowly gotten me to not remember.

I know I love it. I love these characters I love these people I love this magic.

Regardless, it will always stay a five star for me

This was a great follow up to Small Town Big Magic, I was really intrigued by Rebekah's story in the first book and I'm glad I got to continue it. I'm so excited for the third part. This one really paced the overall story centering the coven well. I was a little wary of this type of story being split up between multiple POVs throughout the whole series but I have been impressed with the first two.

I liked aspects of this book and didn't connect with other aspects. If you like stories involving witches, this one takes place in Missouri, but it's a secret witchy town so no 'humans'. I felt a bit lost as I read, not knowing if more of the motivations and backstories would have been clearer if I had read book one. The book is told from the POV of our main character Rebekah she was exiled from her community when she was a teen and this book references her teen years frequently but I didn't feel like I had a good understanding of what the deal was, even when the big incident of her teen years is revealed. I could have benefited from a whole book with her and her sister and her friends from their senior year of HS.

I liked that Rebekah had been in therapy and used those techniques to deal with issues that came up when she arrived back home. For the romance portion of the book, because this is a closed-door romance, I would have enjoyed a lot more build-up and pining. If you like witch books and don't really care for detailed romance I think this book will be a good fit for you--the romance is there and is a plot point but it's not too in your face--I apparently do like in-your-face romance!

I read other reviews of this book and it seems that the consensus is if you like Hazel Beck's works or enjoyed the first book in the series, you are going to love this one!

3 stars--thanks Net Galley for the ARC! All opinions are mine!

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. The author did a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention, and makes you not want to put it down until you're finished! I would highly recommend it!

Big Little Spells by Hazel Beck is the second book in the romantic fantasy Witchlore series. This series has a combination of fantasy and romance in the format with the romance side of the story changing the main characters in this second book but the fantasy side picking up the story right after where the last book left off. It’s definetly best to read the series from the beginning but this second book could be understood and enjoyed without doing so too.

The first book of the series, Small Town, Big Magic, introduced readers to the small town of St. Cyprian, Missouri which happens to be a place that holds magic and the town Chamber of Commerce president, Emerson Wilde, who didn’t know magic existed but now that her memory has been restored she welcomes back her sister.

Emerson’s sister, Rebekah Wilde, is back in St. Cyprian after leaving when she was only eighteen. Rebekah had left ten years ago with her magic being stripped by the Joywood Coven who oversee magic in St. Cyprian. The coven believes that Rebekah and her sister and friends are a danger to the town and everyone.

I am a reader that enjoys a good crossover genre story and the Witchlore series is one that I do find fits that mold. The story takes place in a small town just like I enjoy in a lot of romance but gives us witches and magic and a bit of mystery to how the story will unfold. I quickly fell right back into the town and the plot and was engaged in seeing where all the characters, main and supporting would proceed in this second book and enjoyed the continuing journey with a new focus at the forefront. If this sounds like one up your alley I’d definitely suggest giving it a try.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is the follow up to “Small Town,Big Magic”. It takes place in a small town that’s ruled by the Joywood coven. The coven will test Emerson and Rebekah again for witchcraft, and if they fail they’ll be put to death. Rebekah enlists the help of immortal Nicolas Frost, and there’s romance between them. This book read slowly and I wasn’t as attached to the characters as I was in the first book. 3.5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I read this book in the fall and it was the perfect time given the witchy aspects as well as the spooky themes.

Second books rarely measure up to the first in a series and this book suffers from that too. if you liked the first book, you’ll probably like this boo, because it isn't bad, but it just wasn't as strong as the first. The writing is a bit muddy in comparison but I still enjoyed it as a whole.

Just as good as the first! I love to see the continuation of such a great story. It was great to visit St. Cyprian again and I loved this Coven. It was a great read and I hope there is going to be a number 3!

I think there is something special about a book that allows love to be the focus but romance to be secondary to a character's development and their overall journey when they find themselves back in an environment they tried to escape. The way we see Rebekah revert back to old habits, but also grow and find her own made her a believable and relatable character.

This is a perfect cozy read that I think I will want to pick back up in the fall.

So thanks for the ARC! However this one got lost in my reading in my TBR and I just got around to reading it. Very cute Cozy story I and very curious to see what the next one’s about. I really enjoyed watching the relationship blossom in this one and loved the ending!

Big Little Spells is the sequel to Small Town, Big Magic and it immediately picks up where the first one ended. Except for this book follows Rebekah, sister of the first book’s protagonist, Emerson. The sisters are deemed to be dangerous by the coven of women (Joywood Coven) in charge so they are forced to redo the same tests they did as teenagers. Helping Rebekah is her old mentor/teacher/love interest Nicholas, the immortal and grumpy witch who begrudgingly helped them in the first book.

While I enjoy these books and the characters who makes up these stories the witchy aspect seemed to take a back seat in this story. Rebekah has a very interesting power and I wish the parts that dealt with that had been a bigger aspect of the story. Also, the “trials” and events they are forced to be a part of never makes much sense. Why would they have to go to the same dance they did as teenagers… with a bunch of teenagers. I also never found the romance between Nicholas and Rebekah that great. I much prefer the romance in the first book with Emerson and Jacob.

I did enjoy the themes of finding yourself, trusting yourself and trusting those around you with your honest self. Rebekah going against the Joywood Coven was the true driving force of this novel and everything else felt extra. Watching her figure them out and ready herself to go against them were the high points of the novel for me. Also, the parts where Rebekah grappled with her grief and loss of her Grandma really hit home for me which cemented my connection with her.

This book also spent a bit of time on building up to the third book in the series. Ellowyn and Zander used to date and something mysterious happened to break them up to the point where they barely tolerate each other. Which makes me excited to finally find out what happened between them and how they learn to trust each other again. If you love contemporary romance and want that extra paranormal aspect I highly recommend this series. Each book has been a fun time that seems to speed by.

I love a good book that seems to have it all. It's witchy, romantic, with a journey of self discovery and healing. Hazel did a wonderful job weaving in the romance and writing a genuinely compelling story that tugs at your heartstrings. Two sisters pulled or better yet ripped apart 10 years ago are now back together and their magic is stronger then ever. I really enjoyed this story. It is the 2nd in the series Witchlore.

I did not enjoy this one as much as the first book. I felt the characters fell flat and the story not interesting. Was an interesting read, but not great.

Thank you NetGalley for sharing this book with me early to read and review. This book wasn’t my favorite but I do love bits of it and know others will too!

As someone who truly enjoyed Small Town, Big Magic, the first book in the “Witchlore” series by Hazel Beck, I was hugely excited to read the second installment of the story in Big Little Spells. What is lovely about Beck’s writing is that it perfectly toes the line between a romance and a fantasy novel, never crossing over the divide. It has echoes of Practical Magic. Her work can appeal to many fantasy readers without suffering in creativity or characters.

“BECAUSE WOMEN SHOULD CLAIM THEIR POWER. WE ALL KNOW WHO BENEFITS WHEN THEY DON’T, AND IT ISN’T US.”

The protagonist, Emerson Wilde, drew me into the original story, Small Town, Big Magic. Emerson is a type A personality organizer/planner, where life can be neatly divided into quadrants and squares. But inside of that practicality is this intensity and ferocity. You see it early in the novel when she tackles anything from scheduling to her chamber of commerce duties. I love the dichotomy of the characters. The two opposite sides are warring to make her whole. The supporting characters in Emerson’s sphere are equally crucial to the story, although they are given less page time. They all play an essential role in who she is.

The witchy part of the story comes to fruition about halfway through the novel, and you can see how Beck interwoven the personalities and identities of the most critical people in Emerson’s life together. The puzzle pieces snap together. It is beautiful and engaging writing. I recant book one to you as a fan and how book one interplays into book two. Unlike many series where each book, while existing in the same universe, is a whole story unto itself, Big Little Spells is a continuation of the first story. You could slap the books together and read them in one sitting with minimal editing, and you would have a cohesive narrative. I am sure the narrative in the third book in the series, Truly Madly Magically, will be much the same.

But specifically, the second book is about Emerson’s baby sister, Rebekah Wilde. While Emerson had all her magic erased, you will learn about this in the first novel; Rebekah chose exile without contact. At 18, she left the world with nothing and tried to forget her home and a certain man. The two sisters could not be more different than each other; however, while some authors purposefully push the differences in the reader’s faces, Beck’s characters feel like they come naturally and authentically. They have gone in two different directions; they chose two separate paths and diverged their lives at significant cost to both.

The main plot of this novel is how Rebekha has been unceremoniously yanked back into the machinations of her hometown and the politics regarding the ruling council. The council has had it out for the sister since they were children. But we need to find out why and how that will play out in their future, which is the crux of this book! What will happen to them?

Big Little Spells ends with unanswered questions, which only excites the reader about the third book in the series, “Truly Madly Magically.” I highly recommend the “Witchlore” series to anyone interested in a witch-heavy, romance-light series with a well-written plot and characters.

Who doesn't love a magical romance?

Big Little Spells picks up immediately following the escapades of Small Town Big Magic except from Rebekah's perspective. In the previous book, the newly formed coven has defeated the confluence and saved the town. Now, in Big Little Spells, they are being held to account for their use of magic by the governing coven, the Joywood.

As Rebekah and her friends work together to prove themselves and their magic, we find out more of Rebekah's back story. I liked getting more into her story after hearing her sister's side of events in the previous book. It was interesting how Beck continued the story line of the first while switching character perspectives.

If you're wondering, the big storyline is obviously good versus evil and how friendship and love conquer all but what I liked about the way it came through was in the way Rebekah had to face the mistakes she made and love herself, forgive herself, most of all. She had to receive and accept the love of those around her. That was the true magic. And it was written as cheesy as I probably just made that sound.

Yes, there is a love story. Yes, the love interest is hot and brooding as you'd expect. What I liked about this one is as a romance Is that the romance is part of the plot - not THE plot - and secondary to our heroine's development as a person and as a witch in her own right.

It's fun and, I dare say, I liked this one more than the first which just succeeds in making me excited for the next one.