3.5 out of 5 stars
Ebook. 222 pages. Published July 21st 2020 by Dreamspinner Press
Blurb:
When a coven of hedge witches casts a spell for their hearts’ desires, the world turns upside down.
Bartholomew Baker is afraid to hope for his heart’s true desire—the gregarious woodworker who sells his wares next to Bartholomew at the local craft fairs—so he writes the spell for his baking business to thrive and allow him to quit his office job. He’d rather pour his energy into emotionally gratifying pastry! But the magic won’t allow him to lie, even to himself, and the spellcasting has unexpected consequences.
For two years Lachlan has been flirting with Bartholomew, but the shy baker with the beautiful gray eyes runs away whenever their conversation turns personal. He’s about to give up hope… and then Bartholomew rushes into a convention in the midst of a spellcasting disaster of epic proportions.
Suddenly everybody wants a taste of Bartholomew’s baked goods—and Bartholomew himself. Lachlan gladly jumps on for the ride, enduring rioting crowds and supernatural birds for a chance with Bartholomew. Can Bartholomew overcome the shyness that has kept him from giving his heart to Lachlan?
Likes:
- The basic story idea.
- Bartholomew and Lachlan.
- Set up for more books to come.
- Simple, low angst story.
- Hot smut.
- Read like a novella.
Dislikes:
- Didn’t hook me at first.
- Felt like I was playing catch-up with the plot.
- The characters aren’t well explained until later in the book.
- The coven feels slapdash.
- Lachlan’s immediate acceptance of the witchcraft wasn’t explained.
- Bartholomew doesn’t feel like he’s 27.
- Not the best ‘baker magically transfers their feelings into the food’ book.
I’ve been a fan of Amy Lane for years, but I have to admit that her stories tend to be hit or miss with me. I thought this one was going to be a miss, especially at the beginning. Simply put, it didn’t hook me. Which is strange, because the basic plot is interesting.
In general, I don’t like when books drop me into the middle of something. I often feel, like I did with this book, that I’m playing catch-up with the plot. It also means that things are happening to the main characters when I don’t have a connection with those characters yet. It was my lack of connection with Bartholomew and Lachlan that bothered me most.
I did finish the book, and eventually I developed that connection with the men. But it took a long time. Like, more than half the book. Because I couldn’t understand why Bartholomew was acting the way he was. The blurb calls him shy, and that’s an understatement. He doesn’t feel like a typical 27 year old. When his backstory came out, it all made sense, and allowed me to understand why he was the way he was.
Both Lachlan and Bartholomew were good characters. Their romance had this feeling of inevitability to it. It made the book feel like a novella. And I mean that in a good way. Things were relatively easy for them, both with their romance and solving Bartholomew’s magic problems. Lachlan even accepted Bartholomew’s magic like it was no big thing. Low angst, smooth sailing, and hot smut. Once I clicked with the men, the rest of the book was a pleasant read.
As the first in a series, this book did a good job of setting things up for future romances. I’m especially excited for Dante and Cully’s story. I also hope the coven gets explained more. It, and the magic they performed, felt very slapdash. Even the backstory of how they’re all neighbors and discovered magic feels, well, more than a little ridiculous.
Weirdly enough, this wasn’t the first MM romance novel I’ve read where someone accidentally bakes magic into their desserts and gives them out. And I have to admit, I liked A Beginner’s Guide to Wooing Your Mate by R. Cooper better. But I’m still excited to read the next book in the Hedge Witches Lonely Hearts Club series. Not sure how long I’ll have to wait, but I’m looking forward to it.
Be sure to check out my reviews for the rest of the series – Portals and Puppy Dogs (Hedge Witches Lonely Hearts Club #2) and Pentacles and Pelting Plants (Hedge Witches Lonely Hearts Club #3)
Love is Love Reviews 