“The Cottage Around the Corner” by D.L. Soria follows Charlie, a witch who works at the Chanterelle Cottage with her mothers. The Cottage provides magic to the residents of Owl’s Hollow. However, when a new mage sets up shop in Owl’s Hollow, Charlie’s livelihood is threatened.

The setting of and characters in Owl’s Hollow are one of the main highlights of this book for me. I love a small town, especially when it is equipped with magic. I also love the band of characters that live there. It very much reminded me of Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls.

I enjoyed the magic system in “The Cottage Around the Corner”. I could tell that Soria put effort into crafting this magic system. Sometimes the solutions to the problems that occurred in the town felt too simple, but it did not bother me too much. I wouldn’t say it is the most high stakes cozy fantasy I have ever read, but it wasn’t the lowest either.

I enjoyed the romance between Charlie and Fitz. I especially loved Fitz as a character. I’m not familiar with the movie that the book is based off of, You’ve Got Mail, so I cannot compare them to the movie. However, I did become somewhat frustrated with the couple towards the end of the book. Like, I just wanted so badly for them to figure it all out.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Small town, rivals to lovers romance, but make it witchy.

Synopsis:
Charlie is having a rough time trying to keep her family's spellshop afloat in Owls Hollow, when big city hotshot Sterling "Fitz" Fitzgerald shows up in town with the intentions of starting a rival business. When supernatural forces start attacking citizens, the two must work together to save their town. But is Owl's Hollow big enough for both of them?

This was such a cute cozy read. The humor was on point without being super cringe-y or cliche, and the banter was bantering. Despite the third act break-up, I didn't find the conflict to be too overwhelming and was still rooting for Fitz and Charlie's HEA. Fitz and Charlie were super relatable characters. Both are in their thirties and still trying to figure out what to do with their life. Their relationships with their families were very charming, and the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ representation was on point.

We all wanted to read it for the cute cover, right? Well it definitely lived up to it. This was a perfect fall read!

Tropes:
Small town romance
Rivals to lovers
Forced proximity
He falls first
Witchy vibes

I completely picked this book because of its cover!

It took a few chapters to really get into it and invested in the story. But the main characters were written very well, and I loved their snarky banter. The secondary characters were also really well written and held my interest just as much as the story of the main characters. Mim and Mama, Elinor, and the other witches in town, they all were secondary but tied into the story so well and felt just as important.

I absolutely loved all the witchy elements, and the parts talking about runes and tarot were spot on. The further I got into the book, the more it made me wish I was a witch. The story takes place from the end of summer and into fall. By the time I finished it, I was completely ready for it to be fall.

The story was good, and it was a perfect palette cleaning read. I wasn’t terribly attached to any of the characters, but I did find myself wanting to know how the story unfolds, and by halfway through I found myself picking it back up more and more than I was in the beginning.

This is a very cozy romantasy. It has witches and a magical town in danger.

This is very much inspired by the film You've Got Mail and I think those elements were executed well. It was cute and provided one of my favorite tropes: rivals to lovers. I think the romance was paced well. Nothing felt rushed and I enjoyed how the author did the rivals to lovers trope. Charlie and Fitz were fun characters. I liked that they were older (in their 30s) but were still figuring out life. They felt like grounded characters which also helped the romance feel more believable.

I enjoyed the world and the town the book is set in. A bit like Halloweentown mixed with Stars Hollow perhaps?

A fun, cozy romantasy with witches, rivals to lovers and a magical town. Would recommend!

This was an absolute delight to read.

It was so easy to connect to both Charlie and Fitz, but also to root for their romance. I do wish there had been maybe one more spicy scene, but that is mostly because their chemistry was magical (no pun intended). I do appreciate having an actual plot that wasn't just a vehicle for the romance, but still keeping it a relatively low stakes read.

Thank you NetGalley and D.L. Soria for the ARC of “The Cottage Around the Corner”! It was such a cute small town enemies to lovers read!! The story unfolded beautifully, not to rushed or slow, and the characters had me dying! I loved it!!

The perfect cozy, witchy rom-com! Enemies to lovers. Witches. Mages. Cursed town. Loveable characters.

I totally judged a book by its cover when I requested this on NetGalley because it’s GORGEOUS! And the title is so cute, I was immediately intrigued. It fell somewhere between YA and Adult fantasy, in my opinion. Romantic, but not overly spicy or too juvenile. The banter was so well written I felt myself smiling as I read. Charlie and Fitz, the main characters, had great chemistry. I only wish we had more from them and how their love story progressed.

Honorable mentions are Mama and Mimm, Charlie’s moms. They were hilarious and the kind of parents people wished they had. I also loved the LGBT+ representation. I plan to buy a physical copy when released! I highly recommend this cozy, easy read!

The Cottage Around The Corner is such a cozy romcom about a witch and mage who start as enemies and you guess it, turn to lovers. The battle between small store witchcraft and large firm mage magic in Owls Hollow reminded me immediately of You’ve Got Mail and when the author compared Charlie to Kathleen Kelly I about screamed.

Once I read about the broom sibling and the spunky moms, I was on board. I highly recommend this book for those looking for a magical, feel-good romcom.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one - thanks NetGalley for the advance copy. Very cute enemies to lovers romance with magic! I liked that the world building wasn't too complex and we could get right into the characters. There was a little element of mystery, a nice cast of characters and a well thought out setting. I would read more stories from this town and I will definitely look for more from this author.

This was cute and heavy on the witchy vibes. I'm sure a lot of readers will love it. For me, I didn't really see much inspiration from You've Got Mail or The Shop Around the Corner other than the basic bigger-moves-smaller out of business. Charlie's first person narration was too rambling for my taste and I would never have guessed her to be in her 30s since she came across as 20. Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read.

Owl’s Hollow is such a cozy world and I enjoyed getting to live in it while reading The Cottage Around the Corner!

Charlie Sparrow is a young witch who is dedicated to her family’s spellshop, Chanterelle Cottage. Business has been TOUGH for her family recently. A burglary depleted their inventory, and the bank is hesitant to restructure their loan. She is struggling, to say the least!

To make matters worse, a new magecraft firm, Maven Enterprises, opens in town. The competition, Fitz, threatens the very survival of her beloved spellshop.

The chemistry between the characters is on FIRE. I will say, the romance is not the central focus, but this book does have some sweet moments!

The book balances elements of romance, humor, and mystery. The magical system is fun and I enjoyed that the characters were not in their early 20s!

Fans of cozy mysteries and light romance will absolutely adore this book!

Thanks NetGalley and Random House Publishing- Ballantine for this ARC in enhance for an honest review.

Ughhh this book was so cute! I stayed up until 5:00 in the morning finishing it.

Charlie is a force to be reckoned with. She’s strong, independent, filled with self-doubt, and stubborn beyond belief. She’ll go to great lengths to prove herself to her parents and the small town of Owl’s Hollow. What she won’t stand for is anyone getting in the way of her family’s generations-old witch’s cottage thriving long into the future.

Fitz is a tall, handsome, brooding, outsider. His escape to Owl’s Hollow is a chance to start fresh with his own company. But when his company threatens the livelihood of Charlie and the rest of the town witches, his feelings on the matter aren’t as black and white as Charlie would like them to be.

This book is cute, cozy, has a great magic system, adorable romance, and great banter. I cried at some parts and was overwhelmed with joy at others. I can’t wait for everyone looking for a cozy read to pick this up in the fall. And I might just have to explore more by this other.

The Cottage Around The Corner by D.L. Soria is a super cozy, enemies-to-lovers about a witch, a mage, and a cursed town. Charlie and Fitz, although magical and business rivals, must set their differences aside in order to save Owl's Hollow from a string of curses. Turns out they have more in common than they thought, and it's that connection (and Charlie's brilliance) that makes the duo powerful enough to stop the destruction.

I love how cozy this book feels. The humor and witty comments are everything! I also appreciated that the characters are in their thirties and still figuring out life, a bit of realism to bring it home. Additionally, I love the personalities of Charlie's moms. Mama and Mim are hilarious and great supporting characters.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, for early access to read The Cottage Around The Corner in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed it!

This was a fun, cozy mystery with light romance. I had a good time reading it and loved all of the characters. I do wish the romance would've started a little sooner than it did. Overall, it was a delightful read. Highly recommend!

Cozy play on "Shop Around the Corner" or the remake "You've Got Mail" but with witches and mages in competition in a cute small town, shall they work together? Is fraternization acceptable? Well, you will find out!

When Fitz, a mage, moves to Owl’s Hollow and opens a magecraft firm, Charlie Sparrow’s world starts spinning off its axis. Her family magic shop’s livelihood is threatened by the new competition, but she can’t stop thinking about the dimple in his cheek when he smiles. Thrown together to solve three town wide curses, Charlie and Fitz’s relationship grows romantic.

This cozy, witchy, enemies to lovers book is like the first sip of your favorite warm beverage. Delicious, comforting, and leaving you wanting more.

Things I enjoyed:

- Charlie’s moms, Alicia and Ruby, were adorable and provided some much needed humor among the drama.
- The chemistry between Charlie and Fitz is very well done. Spicy, sweet, and believable.
- Humorous jokes/good banter and the world gave cozy Stars Hollow vibes.

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be buying a copy to reread and display on my bookshelf (the cover is gorgeous).

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you want a cozy, witchy, mid-angst level romance, then this book should be on your "Kick Off to Spooky Season" reading list.

Featuring lots of queer representation, a diversity of characters and protagonists who are fully formed adults (mostly) [book:The Cottage Around the Corner|201750863] is such an enjoyable read. Charlie is an oddball hot-mess without straying too far into "quirky girl" territory. Fritz was a bit more archetypical as a uptight grump with a tragic past...but we love that trope for a reason. I'll allow it.

The conflict is reasonable within the world built by Soria. The mystery is easily solvable, but the reader never feels like the characters are struggling just for plot expansion. The romance is sweet and spicy, but realistic. No out of pocket Insta-love/lust and the HEA happens they way adults actually resolve conflicts- not by everyone suddenly acting out of character. (Can you teel what my reading pet peeves are? This book handled all the trope-pitfalls so well.)

My only note is that sometimes the witchcraft aspect seemed to just resolve major crises a little too easily. I understand that the growing and changing magic is a metaphor for the romantic pairing's growth (both personal and as a couple), but some resolutions felt a bit rushed. That said, why have magic if you can't handwave away a few problems?

All together, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for fans of quaint, witchy romances.

I loved this book from start to finish. As soon as I finished it on my Kindle, I went to pre-order the paperback. I need this book on the shelf, and I can't wait to read it again.

The characters have good personalities, and while it reads to me like a cozy read, it had a great fantasy rom/com vibe.

This was my first book by D.L. Soria and their other books are now on my TBR.

This is a unique cozy fantasy including elements of mystery and romance. The cottage gave me homey vibes, making me wish I could visit. The element of mystery drives the plot while keeping the story lighthearted. I appreciated the diversity among the characters and types of magic.

First shout out to the artist for the great work! The cover immediately catches the eye and will decorate any bookshelf! And that was the reason I requested an e-ARC.

From the very beginning of the book, we find ourselves in a cozy Chanterelle Cottage and a small town Owl’s Hollow, which are very close to the big cities, but feel like in a special universe. I absolutely loved the atmosphere and both main and side characters.

Charlie is already an adult (which is rare in contemp romcoms), but she strives to show herself and prove that she is worth something, it's great to watch her groth as she feels very realistic with her complexes and problems. I adored how she was willing to save the business and help the whole town. Fitz is a cinnamon roll and I loved watching his relationship with the sister. But I would like to know more about him as a person and his story. Their relationship is very sweet and touching, although I felt tension since the first meeting. I loved to watsh their development from rivals to allies to lovers.

I'd also like to mention Mom and Mim as a characters and parents. They are very attentive and caring, and their jokes and humor made me laugh so many times!

- What I especially like about this book:
- the atmosphere of a cozy small town
- jokes and banter
- strong characters

I really want to give 5 stars, but it seemed that the book was a little too long.
But to anyone who is looking for an easy and funny witchy rom-com, I can safely recommend The Cottage Around the Corner

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group and Ballantine for this ARC.