A plethora of homages (Halloweentown, You've Got Mail, Gilmore Girls, Practical Magic) simmer in this enjoyable novel. Charlie is a powerful main character with an impeccable arc. The romance is fun and keeps the story interesting as well. I also liked Mama and Mim. I am once again ready to move to a small town after reading this novel.

D. L. Soria’s The Cottage Around the Corner is a charming and heartwarming contemporary romance that blends humor, self-discovery, and the healing power of community. The story centers around a protagonist seeking solace and a fresh start in a small, picturesque town, only to find that the quirky locals and a blossoming romance may hold the key to rediscovering her sense of purpose and joy.

Soria excels in creating an inviting, cozy atmosphere, where the small-town setting feels like a character in itself. The narrative strikes a perfect balance between lighthearted moments and deeper emotional themes, touching on love, loss, and second chances. The characters are endearing, with authentic relationships and witty banter that adds warmth and humor to the story.

The Cottage Around the Corner is a feel-good read perfect for fans of contemporary romance who enjoy stories about personal growth, community, and finding love when you least expect it. Its gentle pace, relatable characters, and sweet romance make it an uplifting, comforting book that will leave readers with a smile.

First, thank you NetGalley and the author for the ARC!

This was such a cute read! I loved the family bonds, the two different magic types, and the discovery of what was really happening to the town. It was also neat to see all the different viewpoints of magic, and how those opinions even changed between witches and mages. It was also nice to see actual Pagan/Wiccan practices incorporated into the book's witchcraft.

A couple gripes. Charlie's continued self-doubt and refusal to just be blunt and get everything on the table. That got a bit annoying throughout, but when things *did* get resolved, it was quite lovely, so I can forgive it. The other was that I wish we had a more in-depth look at magecraft. I do understand that our main character and her family were all witches, so most of what we saw was their kind of magic and their perspective, but I felt like I still had so many questions about the differences between the two.

Even with those gripes, this was such a cute, cozy read filled with laughs, love, tears and romance (will put out there a warning - there's a chapter with graphic sex for those that don't like it, but I feel it is skippable).

The romance definitely is very you’ve got mailesque, which is great. Just going to throw out there that it is closed door. The magic system was interesting as well. But the setting was the cherry on top. I’ve read a lot of cozy fantasies and this is one where I really wish I could be a part of their world.

I loved The Cottage Around the Corner- it felt very Sabrina the Teenage witch in all the best ways!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray for granting me access to an ARC!

The Cottage Around the Corner by D. L. Soria is the perfect witchy read for people who have always been obsessed with Halloween and want nothing more than to live in Halloweentown. As the book begins we meet Charlie, the daughter, and one of three witches who run Chanterelle Cottage the only witchcraft store in Owl's Hollow. Things are about to change as the mysterious Fitz comes into town and we soon learn that he's moved to Owl's Hollow to open a magecraft firm - but is the town big enough for two magic stores? Overtime weird things start happening in the town that could be potentially disastrous, thankfully Fitz and Charlie have started getting to know each other, and strangely enough, they might be the only ones who can save the town.

Lucky happenstance is what brought me upon this title, and I'm honestly so thankful that I did because I absolutely loved everything about it. From the witchy vibes to the small town setting, from the romcom vibes to low-stake adventure; this book is the perfect combination of cozy, spooky and charming. I'm so glad I was able to read this digital copy from Netgalley, and I already plan on buying the book so that I can read it again because it really evokes the same sort of feelings in me as rewatching the Halloweentown movies every autumn and I just love all the characters and the personalities that Soria brought to life when writing this book. And I must say, if she wanted to continue Fitz and Charlies story, I would absolutely keep reading!

A review has been submitted to Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Target. Links will be uploaded as soon as they are approved.
An official review will be posted on Instagram by 9/11 with tags included

*Contains minor spoilers*

3.7 Stars
One Liner: Enjoyed the book but not a fan of the FMC

Charlie Sparrow’s family has owned the Chanterelle Cottage for six generations in the small-town Owl’s Hollow. She and her moms form the trio of witches in the town. The shop is her everything but they are struggling to keep it afloat. Still, her parents don’t want to make Charlie a business partner.
The arrival of Sterling Fitzgerald aka Fitz complicates things. Fitz is a mage and has opened a magecraft store, Maven Enterprises. He comes from money, which makes him Charlie’s enemy. How will a spell shop survive when mages are around?
However, neither can deny the attraction between them. Moreover, someone has been causing trouble with strange supernatural events affecting the whole town. It’s up to Charlie and Fitz to sort out the issue and find a common ground for their businesses and hearts.
The story comes in the first-person POV of Charlie.

My Thoughts:
That’s such a cute cover, right? I knew I had to read this one (and lucked out this time).
A big yay to Charlie’s moms Alice (Mama) and Ruby (Mim). They are the definition of opposites attract and form a beautiful team (with a few parental flaws, of course).
The side characters like Elinor, Bonnie, and Tandy are well-etched. While they start as stereotypical, we see the characters have more depth to them. The LBGT rep is cool and seamless. I also like how the white characters are mentioned as white (as opposed to assuming that anyone whose skin tone is not described is automatically white). Love this.
The setting is lovely as it should be in small-town books. Since this one is 400+ pages, there’s enough space for world-building in terms of location and magic. Both are deftly handled with enough explanations woven into the plot. The magical world combines quite a few elements (runes, elemental magic, crystals, spellwork, nature witchcraft, etc.)
Fitz is actually a sweet person. I admit there were many instances I liked him more than Charlie (more on this next). He is caring, loving, kind, talented, and a good businessman. He knows how to run a business, which is important if one wants to become a business partner. It helps that he also has enough trauma in his past.
Charlie is not a bad character; just immature and idiotic. Since we get the book from her POV, her voice needs to be good and it is to an extent (I’ll say that I liked the author’s narration more than Charlie’s POV, if it makes sense). The voice is cheeky (which I credit the author and not the character). While it is interesting to have a flawed FMC, there were quite a few instances when she got annoying. The FMC’s actions (some of her interactions with the love interest) don’t make her cute. If Fitz did that, we’d be calling him a red flag and a toxic man. (Imagine judging the guy from the start and calling him a judgmental ass while he is actually trying to do something for you after you hurt him. Not good, Charlie.)
Since this is not a mystery book, the characters don’t see what’s right in front of their eyes, nor do they connect the dots until the mess becomes a bigger mess. I expected that, so wasn’t disappointed.
There is a third-act breakup which comes early in the last quarter and extends until the end. Moreover, there is no epilogue. Why? When I read 400+ pages, why can’t have at least a 2-page epilogue? I need to know some details. Grr!
Before I forget, I have to applaud the ease with which we have the Celtic cross (Tarot) spread presented in the first 10% of the book. Can I get a free reading too, please?

To summarize, The Cottage Around the Corner is a cozy witchy romance with an interesting magic system and a good setting. I’d have liked it if the FMC was a little more mature, but I did love the author’s voice and the MMC.
Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group (Ballantine | Dell), for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I extremely wanted to love this book however, this felt like every witchy romcom that has come out in the last five years. I was expecting this to feel super cozy and whimsical, but was disappointed by how modernly relevant it was. Personally, I feel like this book was marketed as a cozy fantasy and for me it was giving the vibes of a pop culture saturated Sabrina, the teenage witch. This might be the perfect book for others, but unfortunately, not me.

The Cottage Around The Corner is a cozy fantasy filled with romance and magic. The cover design is amazing; it definitely caught my eye. I love the opening scene with an enchanted broom, which had me laughing out loud from the first page. I loved the small town setting and the characters were so fun to read. I love the main characters -Charlie and Fitz- relationship with each other. If you're looking for a cozy, witchy romance with mystery and humor, this book is perfect for you. Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute and cozy read! I enjoyed this book and I absolutely love the relationship between Charlie and Fitz.

The magic system is was also amazing and pretty easy to follow. This wasn't a favorite book of mine but it was such a good cozy read. If you need something light this is a good book to grab.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing (Ballantine) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well that was just a delightful cozy read! I struggled with some slow pacing towards the beginning, and what for me always too much reiteration of the same points and feelings and thoughts, but overall it was a nice cozy witchy little book that was perfect to read when I did as September gets into full swing and we enter fall. I’m not normally in love with books that focus entirely around people’s emotional development and overcoming negative mental coping mechanisms, but there was just enough cute plot here to keep me going. Not my favorite book personally but I can see how someone who loves cozy romance with a witchy vibe and good queer representation (even when the main couple is hetero) then this one is for you!

Honestly you had me at cozy spell shop and held me all the way through. This is absolutely a reread for me.

Thank you for approving me!

Another cute and cozy fall read!

Mages and witches aren’t meant to be together. Especially when they have a rivalry between their businesses. A little enemies to lovers moment. There’s a slow burn, angst moment that really builds during the spicy moments. But what will happen between them and their businesses when a thief breaks in? I love the little mystery aspect.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the eARC.

First thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the eARC of this book!

I truly loved it! I loved the characters, the cozy witch shop and small town our story took place in, and all the representation that was shown in this book. Two lesbian couples and a bi-sexual main character. I won’t pretend that I know a ton about witchcraft but this book seemed thoroughly researched to me. There was so much information on specific runes, crystals, spells and their meanings. I felt like I could do spells myself and it was so fun to learn. My only small complaint is that I think this book could have been a little shorter, it did feel like it was dragging at a few points. Overall an amazing read, and the perfect cozy witchy romance for fall!

The Cottage Around the Corner by D. L. Soria was such a fantastic story.
A cozy, witchy rom-com that I absolutely loved.
The characters sucked me in, the story was engaging and the writing was fantastic.
A fun and magical story that I would highly recommend.

Thank You NetGalley and Del Rey for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

How to Start Your Fall Off Right:
-Rewatch You’ve Got Mail
-Grab this cozy witchy rom-com

Charlie needs to convince her moms to let her buy into the struggling family business, but first, she has to deal with a rival business owner and a small town that can’t seem to go a week without getting cursed.
This release was perfectly timed! TCAtC is going to set the atmosphere for the rest of your fall. I love the realistic feel to the magic, the You’ve Got Mail references, and the colorful small-town characters.
You need to read this ASAP.

I came for the gorgeous book cover and stayed for the adorable witchy romcom! This was such a fun read. I was hooked immediately by the FMC, Charlie, and her family—complete with a clumsy bewitched broom, lovingly named “Broomhilde,” that creates more mess than cleanliness. When, in the first few pages, I was beyond amused by a broom, I had a pretty good feeling that I was going to enjoy the rest of the story! Charlie’s moms, Mom and Mim, had me laughing out loud with their witty banter and nosy antics surrounding Charlie’s love life. Their heartwarming family is contrasted by the mysterious, jaded mage MMC, Fitz, who moves into town and opens up shop, threatening the witches’ already struggling family business.

Soon enough, the small town is hit with a series of magical mishaps, and it’s up to Charlie & Fitz to figure out the source of these strange curses before the entire community succumbs to the chaos (or are all turned into random animals). There are pop culture references sprinkled throughout, and we get introduced to hilarious, quirky side characters who really round out the story.

I’m fully in my witchy book era, and The Cottage Around the Corner was the perfect light read between the darker books I’ve been getting into. This needs to become a series (pretty please?), because I want to live in this world a little longer. I can’t wait to get my physical copy in the mail today to add to my trophy shelf!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the gifted ARC.

“The Cottage Around the Corner” is a cozy, witchy romcom in a version of our world where magic is real and universally recognized, with practitioners identifying as either witches or mages. The protagonist’s family-run witch shop is put into (further) peril when a new mage shop comes to town and sparks capitalistic competition. Hijinks ensure.

Was the story formulaic? Yes. Was it blatantly based on “You Got Mail”? Duh, the characters even acknowledge it. Did any of these points dissuade me from having a good time? Absolutely not.

The fmc is in her 30s and the mmc likely is too. They have believable chemistry with their fun banter. There is a “spicy” scene, but I wouldn’t call this a spicy book. There’s some lack of communication trope.

P.S. - The FMC’s moms are delightful. They are now my parenting standard.

Despite the way the community embraces magic, there is room for only one magic shop in Owl’s Hollow. For generations, that shop has been Chanterelle Cottage. Then one day, Charlie Sparrow’s whole world gets upended when Maven Enterprises opens its doors, run by a pair of Mages. Yes, Chanterelle Cottage has been struggling for awhile now, on the brink of bankruptcy, but is this going to be what pushes them over the edge? Then Charlie meets the owner of Maven, and what starts out as instant dislike on her part, soon turns into mutual attraction between her and Fitz. As supernatural things begin to happen around town, things affecting most of the population of Owl's Hollow, Charlie & Fitz must either work together or compete against each other to try to find a solution and stop the madness.

I loved this author's first book, so I was really excited to read their second book when it came out. This book was even better than the first book was. This witchy rom-com had me captivated from the very beginning. I loved all of the characters, and was really rooting for Charlie & Fitz. I would love to see this become a series, or at least have a sequel to it. This is perfect for fans of Ann Aguirre. I highly recommend it!

So cute! Perfect for spooky season and one of the better witchy romances I’ve read. The only probably with it I had was how long it took everyone to figure out who the culprit behind the magic attacks were. I guessed who it was halfway through the book. Also Charlie’s indecision and second guessing was getting a bit on my nerves. Otherwise I throughly enjoyed the book 😊