Picture this: It\u2019s a chilly December night, you\u2019re curled up under a cozy blanket, and you\u2019ve just cracked open the latest Erin Sterling novel. The wind howls outside, but you\u2019re safe in the warm embrace of Graves Glen, ready to be whisked away on another magical adventure. That\u2019s exactly how I felt diving into \u201cThe Wedding Witch,\u201d the third installment in Sterling\u2019s enchanting Ex Hex series. And let me tell you, witches and warlocks, this book does not disappoint!<\/p>\n
Now, if you haven\u2019t had the pleasure of visiting Graves Glen before, let me catch you up real quick. This charming Southern town is home to a colorful cast of witches, warlocks, and the occasional human who gets caught up in their magical shenanigans. We first fell in love with the place in \u201cThe Ex Hex<\/a>,\u201d where a scorned witch\u2019s curse comes back to bite her in the most delicious way. Then, \u201cThe Kiss Curse<\/a>\u201d gave us a enemies-to-lovers tale that was hotter than a cauldron on Halloween night.<\/p>\n But \u201cThe Wedding Witch\u201d? Oh honey, it takes everything we loved about the first two books and cranks it up to eleven. We\u2019re talking time travel, haunted houses<\/a>, and a slow-burn romance that\u2019ll have you fanning yourself faster than you can say \u201caccio, cold shower!\u201d<\/p>\n Our story follows Bowen Penhallow, a brooding Welsh warlock who\u2019s more comfortable with ancient tomes than actual people. He\u2019s the kind of guy who\u2019d rather spend his nights decoding elven texts than hitting up the local pub. (Okay, I\u2019ll admit it\u2014I kind of love that about him.) On the other side of our romantic equation, we have Tamsyn Bligh, a human with a knack for acquiring magical artifacts. She\u2019s smart, sassy, and has been starring in Bowen\u2019s dreams for longer than he\u2019d care to admit.<\/p>\n Now, here\u2019s where things get interesting. These two find themselves at a fancy-schmancy Yuletide wedding at Tywyll House, a Welsh estate with more secrets than your grandma\u2019s recipe box. Tamsyn\u2019s there to score a priceless magical brooch, while Bowen\u2019s reluctantly attending at the request of his ghostly BFF, Declan. (Yeah, you read that right. Ghost bestie. Just roll with it.)<\/p>\n But faster than you can say \u201cgreat Scott!\u201d, our lovebirds find themselves zapped back to 1957. Suddenly, they\u2019re smack dab in the middle of another Yuletide celebration, complete with vintage cocktails and some seriously questionable fashion choices. Oh, and did I mention that the bride and groom just happen to be Bowen\u2019s grandparents? Talk about awkward family reunions!<\/p>\n Here\u2019s where Sterling\u2019s writing really shines. The 1950s setting is so vividly drawn, you can practically smell the cigarette smoke and taste the gin fizzes. And the way she weaves Welsh folklore and magical lore into the story? It\u2019s like Harry Potter met Outlander and decided to throw a New Year\u2019s Eve rager.<\/p>\n Of course, it\u2019s not all fun and games in the past. Bowen and Tamsyn have to figure out how to get back to their own time before they blink out of existence. (Time travel, am I right?) This means playing matchmaker for Bowen\u2019s bickering grandparents while trying to unravel the mystery of that pesky magical brooch.<\/p>\n And let\u2019s not forget the sexual tension, folks. Being stuck in the past means Bowen and Tamsyn have to pretend to be married. Cue the shared bedroom, lingering glances, and one very steamy bathtub scene that\u2019ll have you reaching for a cold glass of water. Sterling knows how to write chemistry that crackles like magic gone wrong, and she doesn\u2019t hold back here.<\/p>\n But \u201cThe Wedding Witch\u201d isn\u2019t just about the romance. Sterling tackles some pretty heavy themes with a deft touch:<\/p>\n The weight of family expectations Watching Bowen grapple with his family\u2019s legacy and his own perceived failures is genuinely moving. And Tamsyn\u2019s journey from lone wolf to someone willing to open her heart? It\u2019ll hit you right in the feels.<\/p>\n While Bowen and Tamsyn are our main squeeze, the supporting cast is equally delightful:<\/p>\n Emerald: A precocious teenage witch-in-training who steals every scene she\u2019s in Even the setting itself, Tywyll House, becomes a character in its own right. This sprawling, slightly sinister mansion is packed with magical secrets and more than a few things that go bump in the night.<\/p>\n Without spoiling too much, I will say that Sterling sticks the landing. The way she brings all the plot threads together is nothing short of magical (pun absolutely intended). And while this book wraps up the Ex Hex trilogy nicely, I can\u2019t help but hope we\u2019ll get to revisit Graves Glen again someday. (Pretty please, Erin?)<\/p>\n Look, no book is perfect, and I did have a couple of tiny nitpicks:<\/p>\n The pacing in the middle gets a tad slow as Bowen and Tamsyn settle into 1957 life But honestly? These are minor gripes in an otherwise stellar read.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Wedding Witch\u201d is like the best kind of spell\u2014it leaves you feeling warm, fuzzy, and maybe a little bit lovestruck. Sterling has crafted a story that\u2019s equal parts funny, romantic, and genuinely touching. It\u2019s the perfect blend of whimsy and heart, with just enough spice to keep things interesting.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a fan of:<\/p>\n Witchy romances with a dash of humor Then you need to get your hands on this book ASAP. And if you haven\u2019t read the first two books in the series? Well, what are you waiting for? Cancel your plans, stock up on snacks, and prepare for a magical binge-reading session.<\/p>\n Trust me, this is one wedding you don\u2019t want to miss.<\/p>\n If \u201cThe Wedding Witch\u201d leaves you craving more enchanted love stories, here are a few recommendations to add to your TBR pile:<\/p>\n \u201cThe Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches<\/a>\u201d by Sangu Mandanna And of course, if you somehow missed them, make sure to pick up \u201cThe Ex Hex<\/a>\u201d and \u201cThe Kiss Curse<\/a>\u201d to complete your Graves Glen experience!<\/p>\n While \u201cThe Wedding Witch\u201d can technically be read as a standalone, I highly recommend starting with \u201cThe Ex Hex\u201d and working your way through the trilogy. Not only will you get a richer understanding of the world and its characters, but you\u2019ll also catch all those delightful little callbacks and inside jokes Sterling sprinkles throughout the book.<\/p>\n Plus, watching the town of Graves Glen and its quirky inhabitants grow and change over the course of three books is half the fun. Trust me, by the time you reach \u201cThe Wedding Witch,\u201d you\u2019ll feel like you\u2019re coming home to old friends.<\/p>\n So there you have it, fellow book lovers. \u201cThe Wedding Witch\u201d is a charming, funny, and utterly romantic conclusion to a series that has stolen my heart faster than you can say \u201caccio, boyfriend!\u201d Now if you\u2019ll excuse me, I have a sudden urge to book a trip to Wales and hunt for magical brooches. Who\u2019s with me?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Picture this: It\u2019s a chilly December night, you\u2019re curled up under a cozy blanket, and you\u2019ve just cracked open the latest Erin Sterling novel. The wind howls outside, but you\u2019re safe in the warm embrace of Graves Glen, ready to be whisked away on another magical adventure. That\u2019s exactly how I felt diving into \u201cThe […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bookreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/662"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=662"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/662\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}A Match Made in Magical Heaven<\/h2>\n
Accidental Time Travelers<\/h3>\n
A Race Against Time (Literally)<\/h3>\n
More Than Just a Pretty Face (or Brooch)<\/h2>\n
\nDealing with past mistakes and regrets<\/a>
\nFinding your place in a world that doesn\u2019t quite understand you<\/p>\nA Cast of Characters to Fall in Love With<\/h3>\n
\nDeclan: Bowen\u2019s ghostly best friend with a tragic past (and some killer one-liners)
\nElspeth and Harri: Bowen\u2019s grandparents, whose love story is as tumultuous as it is swoon-worthy<\/p>\nA Satisfying Conclusion (Or Is It?)<\/h2>\n
A Few Minor Quibbles<\/h3>\n
\nA subplot involving a mischievous child feels a bit underdeveloped<\/p>\nThe Verdict: Pure Magic<\/h2>\n
\nTime travel shenanigans
\nGrumpy\/sunshine pairings
\nCozy small-town settings (with a magical twist)<\/p>\nFor Fans of Magical Romance<\/h2>\n
\n\u201cPayback\u2019s a Witch\u201d by Lana Harper
\n\u201cA Witch\u2019s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon\u201d by Sarah Hawley
\n\u201cThe Undertaking of Hart and Mercy\u201d by Megan Bannen<\/p>\nA Note on the Series<\/h3>\n