Reluctant Witch is the cozy fantasy sequel to Remedial Magic. It will appeal to readers of the Spellshop and Legend's and Lattes.

★★☆☆☆
Reluctant Witch (Melissa Marr - releasing 04.01.2025)
e-ARC Review

Thank you to NetGalley, Bramble & author Melissa Marr for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest book review! 🥰🙌

I was really hopeful for this book. However, this was a DNF for me. I am probably not the best target audience for this book given its layout and/or character pacing.

In full transparency, I DNF'd this book at pg. 48. Six POVs was three too many for me to easily follow and feel like I was getting the full picture of each character. I typically love multiple POV books, but outside of Daisy Jones, I don't typically enjoy that many perspective changes.

While the writing was good and the plot seemed to be action-forward, I just couldn’t get connected with the characters. I’m not sure if my expectations were just a little too off from the marketing of this book or if I’m just not the audience for this title specifically. In a different style, I could see myself enjoying this read.

This book is perfect for readers who enjoy…
Multi-POV (6 characters)
A wonderfully constructed magical setting


Gratitude, always.
- H.

3.5 ⭐️

she was cute overall, but not as good as the first one 🫣 it felt like some aspects were oddly rushed, and when it was nice to revisit the characters/writing, there was a tiny hint of the charm the previous book held that this lacked- i would still absolutely recommend though for a perfectly quick, cozy, and queer read!!

“Reluctant Witch” picks up right where “Remedial Magic” left off in this second installment of a duology. This book, like the one before it, was a bit of a miss for me. It did bring Ellie and Prospero more into focus, but again, I felt like there was so much more going on in this book than just them. The cast of characters is fun and diverse, and I did enjoy how fleshed out all of these side characters felt to the reader. The setting is also very cozy and gives academia vibes, which will appeal to a wide array of readers. I'm glad I finished out this duet, but ultimately, I'm left with the same feeling that the series doesn't match what I thought it was going to be. Thanks to Melissa Marr, Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group. I am looking forward to Melissa’s next book.

I loved this book!

I wish to thank Emily Honer from Bramble who sent me a beautifully formatted email with a widget for this title. I’ve been wanting to try Melissa Marr since way back when Wicked Lovely came out, so finding an invitation to read this lovely (and it is lovely, the cover art is exquisite) title in my inbox was such a welcome surprise!

When this book rose to the top of my NetGalley queue, I realized it was the second book in the series, so I used my wonderful Libby library app to check out the ebook and audiobook of Remedial Magic and I powered through it in two days. The magic system is so unique and interesting and the cast of characters were distinct, with layered relationships between them. I loved the first book and dove into this one immediately afterward.

The pacing was great and the action drove the story forward brilliantly. I cared very much for the characters and I adored watching their relationships deepen. In the end, we get HEAs all around for the sympathetic characters and appropriate punishment/payback for the evil-doers. I found this to be very much in the cozy fantasy genre, which is a particular favorite for me lately.

I loved this book! I would recommend it to folks who like Travis Baldree, The Spellshop, the Tomes and Tea series, Ruby Dixon, Kimberly Lemming and really any cozy fantasy. There is maybe 1-2 chili peppers worth of spice in this book, so way more spice than the first three recommendations and quite a lot less than the last two.

A wonderful book series! 🥰📚🌟

I really really like the world this story is set in! It is definitely an adult book but scratches that itch for childhood fans of fantasy and escapism. I also really enjoy the variety of characters and experiences each perspective has. I just think the switching between so many people was really jarring and there wasn't enough time spent on the different plot points to be developed. Honestly I think book 1 and 2 could have been combined and sequels could have explored more in depth the different relationships and conflicts. Overall it felt a bit rushed.

"The Magicians meets One Last Stop in the sequel to Remedial Magic by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr!

After discovering she's a witch and being whisked away to the magical land of Crenshaw, Ellie wants nothing more than to spend time with her new wife, Prospero, who has magically altered Ellie's memories to convince her of exactly that.

Prospero herself is guilt-wracked after erasing Ellie's memories and being forced into a sham marriage with the woman she loves for real. But Crenshaw is dying, poisoned by Prospero's enemies who want their community to return to the human world, and she will do anything to save it.

The most powerful witch in anyone's memory is in Prospero's home, in her bed, with no idea that she's a prisoner there...yet.

As the very fabric of their world is being destroyed, Ellie and Prospero must find a way to work together and save the world, and themselves."

Yeah, witch memory erasure... Gives such Buffy vibes.

Thanks for this arc!

This suffers a bit as a later book in a series and I enjoyed the first better

this was even better than the first book which i didn’t know was possible. so cute, funny, and creative.

Reluctant Witch by Melissa Marr is a fast-paced, magical adventure filled with suspense, romance, and supernatural intrigue. The story follows a young woman forced to embrace her hidden powers while navigating dangerous foes and unexpected alliances. Perfect for fans of modern witchy tales with a mix of action and emotion.

Well this is perfect. A perfect follow-up. A perfectly magical read. A perfect example of representation! I devoured this book and cannot wait to buy it myself!

This just went...nowhere. I loved the first book, Crenshaw was an amazing setting but the memory loss just fizzled out of importance and it made everything else suffer.

While I enjoyed the first one a bit more, this final installment was still very good and wrapped the story up nicely. I liked how it picked up directly where it left off and felt more like a continuation of the first rather than a standalone. The characters were likeable and funny and I was rooting for them to figure it out. I enjoy the fact that the characters are diverse and that there is LGBTQ representation.

Thanks for allowing me to read it early.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bramble, for the ARC of this book. The second in the series by Melissa Marr picks up right after the dramatic ending of the first book, Remedial Magic. I found the first book was interesting because of the development of the world the characters were thrown into. There was a lot of action and magical development. There was strong tension and drama. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel the same about the second book, Reluctant Witch.

The opening scene was a bit confusing because I don't think the motivation was clear. The main conflict throughout the story seemed to be focused on whether Ellie and Maggie would remember the memories stolen from them and, I suppose, how that would influence their current relationships. But that was never a big enough pull to carry all the way through the storyline. Also the biggest issue of the first book was like no big deal in the second one. I considered DNF-ing this but wanted to see it through to the end in case the final conflict was worth the time. Sadly is wasn't. Kind of a let down.

Having said that, it's clear Melissa Marr is good at creating worlds and dialog and character development. I think this one could have benefited from a good developmental edit, however.

I’m not sure who the target audience is for this but it isn’t me. Pacing was off, characters seemed a little shallow for my taste. Oh well, worth a shot!

Reluctant Witch picks up right where Remedial Magic left off in this second installment of a duology. We follow Ellie and Maggie as their memories have been erased and are trying to settle into married life in Crenshaw. Crenshaw is still in great distress though, due to an ever-widening rift. As Ellie and Maggie work on getting back their memories and reconciling differences in their respective budding relationships, they get pulled even further into the midst of the fight between witches and even turn out to be key players in the resolution of all this chaos.
This book, much like its predecessor, was a bit of a miss for me. Much of the plot and conflict is based on ideas of consent, and the author seems to take a clear stance on how necessary informed consent is in all situations but then places most of her characters in very contrived-feeling instances of dubious consent. Because of this, the messaging felt a little muddled for me. The cast of characters is fun and diverse, and I enjoyed how fleshed out all of these side characters felt to the reader. The setting is also very cozy and gives academia vibes, which will appeal to a wide array of readers. Overall, there is a specific type of reader I would recommend this novel to, and I would be sure to give trigger warnings.

I think this will be a great title for the LGBTQ readers. It has interesting characters and a good storyline. I would definitely read the first book before this but it's worth the read for those who would enjoy this series.

This was an interesting continuation of their stories. As they navigate their fake marriage and realize that it isn't at all what it seems, so many secrets are revealed in a dark and magical way.