Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin

Lucinda Caraway loves living in Freya Grove, the mystic seaside town where charms, hexes, and magical beings of all kinds are the norm. She spends her days teaching high school history and her nights reading tea leaves and tending to her conjure garden. It’s a good life . . . but she can’t stop wishing for more.

Until one night, that wish turns into a spell, and suddenly Lucy can’t say no. Not to a public karaoke performance. Not to running a 10K. And, most alarmingly, not to her high school crush, Alexander Dwyer, who needs her help unjinxing his new house—which just happens to be right across the street from hers.

Alex has spent the last ten years traveling the world on adventures Lucy has only ever dreamed of, and he’s planning to leave again as soon as his house is safe to sell. But until Lucy can unhex herself, she and Alex are stuck together. And with so much magic in the air, maybe the next spell Lucy casts will be the one that convinces him to stay.

Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin is an insanely gorgeous, beautifully written, and absolutely stunning romance novel. I adore romance stories about witches, and this one is definitely one of my favorite reads of the years. If you loved Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic and Sangu Mandanna’s The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, you will love Witchful Thinking.

Lucy Caraway is a teacher, a witch, and a dreamer. She drinks and collects an amazing amount of tea and gives tea leaf readings. She has dreams of being an interior designer, attending a prestigious teaching program and finding a soulmate. But lately, Lucy feels further away from all of those things than she ever has before.

She is part of the Caraway family of witches, and one night her and her family decide to cast a spell based on a wish. Lucy wishes for excitement and suddenly her life flies ahead of her, and she becomes the person she has always wanted to be- passionate, driven and emboldened to try new things.

Alex Dwyer, a merman, was the one who got away. He was her high school crush, but things ended badly when he left Freya Grove, always dreaming of the next place he would go. When Alex returns for just a few days to visit his family, he’s surprised by his parents with the gift of a house. A ramshackle cottage that Lucy has had her sights set on for years. Suddenly, Lucy and Alex are thrown together. Lucy thinks it’s because of her spell and her wish, but could there be more to their story?

“Lucy knew certain things.
Never run a broom across your feet. Carry coins in your pocket in case you need to pay a spirit. Always keep an eye out for future friends and lovers.”

Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin

I could gush about this book for the next year. Freya Grove is the coziest, cutest town ever. One thing I really adored about this book was how magic wasn’t hidden. Witches and merman exist and it’s not a secret. There’s even a mention to a neighboring darker town where the things that go bump in the night live. Celestine Martin, I am BEGGING you to please make this a really long series that covers all of the Caraway women, Alex’s brother and this other neighborhood. (Please. Like, another 10-15 books at least, right?).

This book is a love letter to witches, seaside towns, mermen, tea, and love. It’s beautiful in every possible way. I fell head over heels for Lucy and Alex and watching them discover who they want to be and who they want to be with was wonderful.

This is not a book you want to miss. I’m going to be gifting it to a lot of people this holiday season. It’s so stunning. If you love witches and romance, trust me, this is the book for you!