This magical little novella follows the romance between a costume designing witch and a socially awkward Hollywood hunk, as they make a romantic connection on a top-secret NZ film set and find themselves searching for a magical saboteur, who seems to be hell bent on ruining the film production with accidents and mishaps.

Although fairly short in length, this cozy fantasy romance packed a lot in, featuring two MCs over 40, a bisexual, plus-size heroine, great ensemble characters, subtle magical elements, a cutesy mystery arc, and a gorgeous New Zealand setting to get lost within. All of which added nicely to the very sweet, smile-inducing romance that was at the stories centre.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Bespoke & Bespelled. It's the first story in the new Movie Magic series by NZ author Healy and a must for M/F lovers of cozy fantasy reads.

This was a cute, short read. I enjoyed the world of magic that was shown in this story. It did feel a little slow at times, but overall I enjoyed it.

This is the second time this month that I have really wanted to like a romance book, but was left disappointed. There were aspects that could have been good with some development or humor or depth, but the reality was clunky and anticlimactic.

⭐ - 4/5
🔥 - .5
🧮 Would Recommend
💜 Tropes: cozy mystery, paranormal
📚 Standalone or series: Interconnecting standalone, this is book 1 in the series.

This was a fun read for me! It's been a hot minute since I read a cozy mystery. I needed a good palette cleanser so to speak, and this was perfect.

Marnie amused me from the very beginning. I loved her determination to be the best in her job. While using that touch of magic she was gifted with to make sure that her work was exceptional when needed. Her touches of humor, creative mind, and gentle but firm nature made her more endearing to me. When things pick up on the set she's on and she's trying to figure out what's going on, I found myself following along with her and Rider, questioning things myself.

Rider was an interesting character. He for sure was a guy that was torn up by what his needs were compared to what his obligations were. I don't blame him for wanting to just have that time out. When he bumps into Marnie in the way he did the misspoken moments and rudeness make him more relatable and not untouchable like so many celebrity characters are represented. Instead, you get a glimpse of the guy beyond the persona. I love the way he fell into his attraction with Marnie instead of fighting it. It felt sweet and smooth. He was the great sleuth and addition to the whole good cop/bad cop they had going on.

Overall it was a fun read! I didn't suspect the culprit to be honest. I was looking at a few other people. I enjoyed the twist on the paranormal that I'm used to. It was fun and different. Kudos to the author too for the representation and inclusion in this book!

Thank you to 8th Note Press and NetGalley for the ARC

This mystery romance was a quick read with an enjoyable plot. I was able to complete this in one sitting because the story flowed so effortlessly. The characters drew me in from the start. And shout out to Marnie for the self-confidence and for telling Rider about being a witch. This read is a perfect mood for cozy fall and winter vibes.

Very simple and short. The main character irritated me, particularly towards the resolution of the story. Some cute moments I guess, but not a lot to write home about. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

Karen Healey's Bespoke and Bespelled is a witty, charming romantic comedy sure to appeal to fans of fantasy, fashion, and enemies-to-lovers romances. Marnie Taylor is a talented stitch-witch and costume designer who has returned to New Zealand from Los Angeles to work on the film adaptation of her favorite fantasy series when she meets A-lister Rider Adams, the leading man. Rider is excited about the opportunity to star in the adaptation of an iconic series, but he soon finds himself trapped with a terrible script and a cursed production plagued by mysterious problems. Marnie and Rider are drawn to each other despite their different personalities and worlds. Marnie is a practical, down-to-earth woman who is used to working hard to achieve her goals. Rider is a charming, charismatic man who is struggling to find his place in Hollywood. As they work together to save the film production, Marnie and Rider must confront their feelings for each other. They must also learn to trust each other and work together to overcome the challenges that come their way. Healey's writing is sharp and witty, and she does a great job of creating characters that readers will root for. Marnie and Rider are both well-developed and relatable characters, and their relationship is believable and heartwarming. The plot of Bespoke and Bespelled is engaging and suspenseful. Healey keeps readers guessing until the very end, and the story is full of twists and turns that will keep readers entertained. Overall, Bespoke and Bespelled is a delightful and entertaining read that is sure to appeal to a wide range of readers. Healey's writing is sharp and witty, and she does a great job of creating characters that readers will root for. The plot is engaging and suspenseful, and the story is full of twists and turns that will keep readers entertained until the very end.

As much as I wanted to love Bespoke & Bespelled, it unfortunately fell flat. Though a novella, the book seemed to drag a bit due to the filler “scenes” from the movie that did nothing for the movement of the plot. The premise of the story had a lot of potential, but was met with a predictable twist with an anticlimactic end. I found it hard to be invested in the characters, and to too if off the one substantial relationship development resulted in a “fade to black”. I can see how a younger reader getting into romance might enjoy this book, but in the grand scheme of rom coms I did feel like it came up short.

Super short story about a witchy costume designer and a Hollywood heartthrob. While this was a quick read the plot was fitting for the length of the story. Meaning it wasn't overly complicated and had the right amount of fluff and conflict for it not to feel incomplete. I enjoyed our main characters but it was hard to visualize them because there wasn't a clear description. I would have liked this one to be a lot longer but it was good for what you get.

Goodness this was such a cute novella! I loved the characters. Each character was different! It was short and to the point! I will be looking for more books by Karen Healey! Thanks for this ARC!

This is a really sweet, really quick, cozy mystery romantasy about a "stitch-witch" named Marnie who works on a set for a movie set with endlessly bad luck. She meets Rider, lead actor on the film and they hit it off. They try to figure out what is happening on set while managing their feelings for each other.

I loved that we have a middle-aged couple here - Marnie is 41 and Rider is roughly in the same ball-park. It's a novella, so it was a quick, fun read. The dialogue was funny and the author did an excellent job telling the story in an engaging way and giving us a HEA.

It was great, I'd recommend reading if you want a fun, witchy romance. :)

Can also find review on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6140978238

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Bespoke and Bespelled from Karen Healey and 8th Note Press, and I am SO thankful because it was amazing. It featured some of the following:

✨plus-sized heroine
✨older heroine
✨magic, movies, and a serious fashion mystery
✨closed door romance

This was such a charming read to start off the new year! Marnie is a “stitch witch” (a witch whose magic is related to the creating and repair of clothing) whose job working on a popular TV show has just ended. She gets the opportunity to work on the biggest movie of the year, and finds that 1. She has instant chemistry with the movie’s leading man, Rider, and 2. The production has most certainly been cursed. She teams up with Rider to help save the movie and find the magical saboteur… and of course they fall in love.

This story is fairly short but the pacing of the plot and relationship is perfect- I never felt like it was moving too fast or too slow. My ONE criticism is actually a compliment… I loved the side characters so much that I wished we had more scenes with them! It’s hard to make side characters feel real, and for the relationships to feel authentic when their time in the story is limited, but that was definitely present here.

Also! The relationship between Marnie and Rider was so refreshing. They COMMUNICATED! Like adults! Having a middle-aged main chapter who is secure in herself, her talents, and is able to articulate that was just so lovely. I also loved that the story’s conflict was driven by something that wasn’t just a miscommunication between characters that could have been resolved if they had a normal conversation.

I loved this, and hope that there are more stories set in this world someday!

This is a cute magical closed doors romance between a costume designer and a famous actor.
Marnie is a witch with an affinity for fabrics who need to use her magic a lot in her new job when the costumes all are ill-fitting, the wrong size or simply made real bad.
Rider is a famous and handsome actor but is bad at flirting in real life, so at first she tought he was an idiot but later on she knew the atraction was mutual.
This story is so cute and i really liked Rider friendship with the other main actors.

I really wanted to love this one but it fell a bit flat. It was also very short which didn’t help engage with the characters as it was all over and done with before you could.

Thank you NetGalley and 8th Note Publishing for giving me an advanced readers e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Marnie is a stitch-witch. She maintains the magical ability to make fabrics and seams mend and bend to her will. She gets the role of a lifetime when she's asked to work on the film adaptation of her favorite book. But when supernatural forces make jackets rip, tents lift off the ground, and tires pop, Marnie takes it upon herself to find the culprit. She also didn't expect to have an undeniable draw towards the movie's male lead.

Rider was initially excited for a leading role in a high-budget movie, but instead found himself on the set of a film with a horrible script and disaster after disaster ocurring around him. At least he has the beautiful costume supervisor to look at everyday, if only he could stop acting like such a fool around her.

Bespoke & Bespelled is a magical and humorous story that I ate up in one sitting. I instantly fell in love with Marnie. This book has so much charm, fun, and romance jam packed in less than 200 pages. I just wish I had more!

Im giving this book 3.5/5 stars because it really was a cute, short story. It was rather refreshing to read about a woman over the age of 40. I don’t think I’ve ever read a romance book about a woman in that age. I thoroughly enjoyed that! However, the book was just a bit short for my liking. The story had so much potential & just felt super rushed to me.

Super cute! I really enjoyed this authors writing style and I liked reading about characters in their 40’s.

This was closed door/ kissing only and there was no 3rd act break up.

What a delight! I requested this arc solely based off of the cover and was pleasantly surprised by the story. It was just the right amount of cozy romance with a hint of mystery and fantasy. Great story and characters. My only “complaint” was the ending felt a bit flat. I just needed a tad bit more. Overall, I really enjoyed it and would recommend.

My first read by Karen Healey, Bespoke & Bespelled was the perfect little novella to serve as a palette cleanser between darker romance that I usually find myself drawn toward.

Marnie and Rider are opposites in every sense of the word, yet time and time again, they find themselves unable to attract the *magic* bringing them together!

this book is a quick and sweet read. despite being short, the mystery was well written and intriguing. i liked the setting and the characters a lot. i’m really happy i requested this book.

thank you so much to the publisher for an arc.