★ The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells
With The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells, Rachel Greenlaw offers a haunting romantic fantasy. After a decade away, English artist Carrie Morgan returns to her hometown of Woodsmoke. She had reasons to run, including her family’s witchy reputation. But her grandmother left Carrie her cottage, and she decides to refurbish it before selling the property and leaving again. The lure of the mountain town is almost as irresistible as Matthieu, a handsome stranger who offers his help with the renovation. However, Carrie’s Great-Aunt Cora, the keeper of the family’s book of spells, is convinced Carrie is headed for heartbreak: Morgan lore tells of magical, beautiful strangers who appear out of the mountains as winter begins, but disappear with the spring. Told in alternating viewpoints, the story follows Carrie, Cora and Carrie’s best friend, Ivy, as they confront their pasts and find love. Readers will lose themselves in this engrossing, atmospheric and emotional tale.
Pictures of You
Twenty-nine-year-old Evie Hudson awakens in a hospital with no memories past the age of 16 in Pictures of You by Emma Grey. Evie’s youthful voice lends a Freaky Friday/13 Going on 30 vibe to the beginning of the novel, but the can’t-look-away plot is ultimately much more serious, and the tone soon changes to match. Evie struggles to integrate what she learns of her recent past with her teenage vision of who she would become. Then an old friend, Drew, reluctantly steps in to help her discover why she broke ties with her family and best friend. Grey jumps back in time to fill in gaps for the reader, and Evie’s tale becomes darker and ever more riveting as layers are peeled back and sacrifices revealed. There’s nonstop drama and surprise after surprise in this twisty tearjerker.
Perfect Fit
A couple re-meets-cute in Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore. Josephine Davis runs her own clothing company in Austin, Texas, and is shocked when her largest investor hires business consultant Will Grant. Not only is Will the twin brother of Jo’s ex-best friend, but the pair also made out as teenagers. Can they work together even though they haven’t spoken in nine years? Gilmore writes in a fresh, modern voice, and fills the world around Josie and Will with cool friends with cool jobs and cool attitudes who support their burgeoning romance. It seems impossible for them not to end up together . . . if only they can overcome their insecurities and act like the adults they are now. Fun food, fun drinks and fun parties put this squarely in the rom-com lane, with an added coming-of-age element thanks to Josie’s first-person perspective.