WITCH YOU WOULD

Penelope Delmar’s selection for the reality TV show Cast Judgment has come at the perfect time. Not only will the prize money help her dwindling bank account, but the winner gets a residency at a prominent magical arts studio. Spending a year in the program could be the key to finally making sense of her late abuela’s spellbook. Unfortunately, her partner for the contest is Leandro Presto, an influencer who gained a following doing wacky magical hijinks. What people don’t know, including Penelope, is that Leandro’s real name is Gilberto Contreras, and he’s a magical theory professor and blogger who happens to be Penelope’s anonymous online pen pal. Gil wasn’t expecting the character of Leandro to be such a hit on social media, and the role has gotten away from him. Having to pretend to be Leandro for the entire filming schedule feels daunting. Penelope and Gil’s persona as Leandro couldn’t be more different, especially with Penelope’s need to make sure every spellcasting detail is perfect. The magical elements blend seamlessly into the contemporary setting here, making them natural to the characters’ daily lives. There are magical social media platforms, television programs, college majors, and retail shops for the characters’ spellcasting supply needs. The romance between Penelope and Gil is relatively low stakes—perhaps a little too low—and a majority of the conflict comes from the different ways they approach spellcasting while dealing with the pressure cooker of a reality TV show. Because the storyline of Cast Judgment takes up so much of the action, there’s little to keep the romance moving outside of that environment, and the book suffers from an abrupt ending.