4.2 (111 ratings)

Books & Bewitchment (Arcadia Falls)

Name: Books & Bewitchment (Arcadia Falls)
Rating: 4.2 (111 reviews)
Author: Isla Jewell
ISBN: 0593726634

by Isla Jewell

witches

About this book

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In this cozy, witchy romcom, a young woman works to turn a run-down small-town video store into the bookshop of her dreams, only to discover a powerful magic that’s been lying dormant—and a forbidden love she can’t resist.

“There’s a welcoming, Gilmore Girls–esque feel to Arcadia Falls, enhanced with just enough fantastical elements. . . . [Books & Bewitchment] is a sweet treat for a cold winter night.”—Publishers Weekly

Dutiful and hard-working, Rhea Wolfe lives a simple, if mundane, life with her pet parrot in small-town Alabama. Sure, she may not love her desk job working for an insurance agency. And her on-again-off-again relationship with the local mechanic may not have the fiery passion she’s read about in her favorite books. Still, things are stable, which is more than she can say about the two hopelessly immature younger sisters who rely on her.

But when Rhea’s estranged grandmother dies, leaving her everything—including a magical heritage Rhea never knew she carried—she finds herself in Arcadia Falls, the quaint mountain town her mother made her swear to avoid at all costs. While the defunct video store she’s also inherited needs a serious upgrade, Rhea’s lucky that resident handyman Hunter Blakely is more than happy to help—and more than easy on the eyes. If only he wasn’t the grandson of her grandmother’s sworn enemy in witchcraft.

Yet as Rhea makes plans for the bookstore of her dreams, she learns that her grandmother made a terrible choice, one that could ruin her own chance at happiness. As she gets ever closer to solving the mystery of what exactly is happening, each clue points to Arcadia Falls’s magic hanging in the balance. To keep her new home safe, Rhea must step into her enchanted birthright and harness her newfound powers . . . before it’s too late.

Publication Date: May 25, 2026
ASIN: 0593726634

Reader Reviews

Cozy witchy vibes

April 27, 2026

This was the definition of cozy. Small town, magic, a bookstore dream, and just enough shenanigans to keep things interesting. Rhea is incredibly easy to root for. She’s stuck in a life that doesn’t quite fit, weighed down by responsibilities, expectations, and the quiet monotony of a mediocre existence. There’s a very real, relatable sense of feeling stuck and wanting more. Like Belle, she longs for something beyond what’s in front of her. Watching her inherit her grandmother’s estate and...

A sweet and sassy witchy romcom

February 16, 2026

This is a fantastic entry into a new genre for Delilah S. Dawson, writing here as Isla Jewell. It has all the things I want to read in a romantasy book: A cozy setting full of unique and often wacky characters, a swoon-worthy love interest, and a main character with a big heart, a strong drive to do the right thing, and a snarky sense of humor. I especially love that the plotting is strong and the character arcs are solid. Characters learn from past mistakes, challenge themselves, and grow into...

A fun, witchy romcom!

February 3, 2026

Rating: 3.5 (rounded up) This book is the epitome of a cozy, witchy, small-town romcom! From a talking bird to a fleet of violent turkeys, the whole story is packed full of quirky details and humor that makes it fun to read. I really enjoyed to plot and setup of the story. The main character, Rhea, is thrown into a town and family legacy she had no idea about, including a taboo history of magic and a very bold grandmother. We get to learn about Arcadia Falls, magic in this world, and the...

A Charming Bookish Fantasy Romance with Cozy Vibes

March 2, 2026

Books and Bewitchment felt like stepping into a storybook town where the air smells faintly of old pages, a little magic hums under the surface, and you half expect a black cat to follow you home from the bookshop. The mix of books, spells, and small-town charm is exactly the kind of atmosphere I’m always hoping to get lost in. This was a genuinely cute read — soft, cozy, and comforting in that “cup of tea on a rainy afternoon” kind of way. The whimsical setting and bookish heart were easily my...

Read to fall in love!

February 3, 2026

I am absolutely in love with this book. I love Rhea, Doris, Maggie, Hunter, Arcadia Falls. Just...love. Rhea is getting tired of her small town life when she learns her estranged grandmother has died and left her an inheritance, leaving everything to her. She breaks the promise she made her mother to never visit Arcadia Falls, packs up her life and her show tunes loving cockatoo, and heads to the mountains to discover she inherited a dying video store and... magical abilities. I struggled in...