I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the SPELLS FOR
LOST THINGS by Jenna Evans Welch Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post
and make sure to enter the giveaway!
Author: Jenna Evans Welch
Publish Date: September 27, 2022
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 368
Find
it: Goodreads,
Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org
From the New York Times bestselling author of Love & Gelato comes a poignant and romantic novel about two teens trying to find their place in the world after being unceremoniously dragged to Salem, Massachusetts, for the summer.
Willow has never felt like she belonged anywhere and is convinced that the only way to find a true home is to travel the world. But her plans to act on her dream are put on hold when her aloof and often absent mother drags Willow to Salem, Massachusetts, to wrap up the affairs of an aunt Willow didn’t even know she had. An aunt who may or may not have been a witch.
There, she meets Mason, a loner who’s always felt out of place and has been in
and out of foster homes his entire life. He’s been classified as one of the
runaways, constantly searching for ways to make it back to his mom; even if she
can’t take care of him, it’s his job to try and take care of her. Isn’t it?
Naturally pulled to one another, Willow and Mason set out across Salem to
discover the secret past of Willow’s mother, her aunt, and the ambiguous
history of her family. During all of this, the two can’t help but act on their
natural connection. But with the amount of baggage between them—and Willow’s
growing conviction her family might be cursed—can they manage to hold onto each
other?
Review
When I saw Jenna Evan Welch was releasing a new book, I jumped at the chance to read it. I read Love & Gelato back in 2016 and greatly enjoyed it. And this new one included spells and witchy-things with a gorgeous cover. Sign me up!
Spells for Lost Things is the perfect book for fall. I lit my candles, made a cup of hot cider, and cuddled up with a blanket and cranked this read out in an afternoon. I definitely recommend setting up an atmosphere for this one - it makes for such a fun read!
I LOVED the magic of Salem mixed in. The setting was PERFECT and the witchy vibes were immaculate. I felt like I was actually there and now I really want to visit. Welch does a great job of setting the scene, which allows the reader to picture the movie in their mind. I felt like I was actually there watch Willow’s and Mason’s romance.
The beginning was a little slow and I did get confused initially, I thought Mason was staying with Willow’s dad’s family, which was not the case. I really thought they were going to be siblings but no, this is a romance. I didn’t really see the need for those parallels especially since the conflict with Willow’s dad went unresolved.
About 50 pages in, I started to get hooked. Like I mentioned earlier, the setting was written beautifully, and I loved the characters. Willow and Mason were great, though the attraction happened a little fast for my taste. I really enjoyed their families and once I figured out who was who, I had no trouble distinguishing them from each other. I want to be a parent like Emma and Simon. They were so respectful of Mason and setting up boundaries. They probably could have been a bit better parents to Nova, but this novel wasn’t about her. Also, I loved everything about Willow’s aunties. I could have used more of them. They provided such an interesting perspective and I really liked their interactions with Willow and Mason.
I felt like the pace of the Spells for Lost Things was great, especially after making it through the beginning. After that 50 page mark, everything picked up. I felt satisfied with the story, like it was the perfect length. Not too long but not too little.
The only other nit-picky thing was the ending. I felt like it could have been extended to include more. I would have liked more of a concrete ending, which I know is a personal preference. The ending was left pretty open-ended with Willow and her mom, but I feel like it would have benefited from more. I would have also liked to see more of Mason’s family at the end. They played a large role in the novel for them to not really make another appearance.
As I was writing this review, I did think of a few things left unresolved that I would have liked to see: Willow’s dad drama, Nova’s storyline, just that kind of stuff. I connected a lot with these characters and this story, so with this missing and the ending is why I only gave it four stars.
Spells for Lost Things was a nice, refreshing read. It was quick, easy to read, and it made my heart happy. Welch has definitely done it again at writing a great book, and I cannot wait to check out more of her works. Be sure to pick up a copy of Spells for Lost Things when it releases later this month or enter the giveaway below to win a copy.
About the Author
Jenna Evans Welch was the kind of insatiable child reader who had no choice but to grow up to become a writer. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Love & Gelato, Love & Luck, and Love & Olives. When she isn’t writing girl abroad stories, Jenna can be found chasing her children or making elaborate messes in the kitchen. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and two young children. Visit her online at JennaEvansWelch.com.
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Giveaway
1 winner will
receive a physical copy of SPELLS FOR LOST THINGS, US Only.
Ends October 15th, Midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule
Week One:
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9/12/2022 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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9/13/2022 |
Review |
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9/14/2022 |
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9/15/2022 |
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9/16/2022 |
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9/17/2022 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
Week Two:
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9/18/2022 |
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9/20/2022 |
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9/21/2022 |
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9/28/2022 |
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9/30/2022 |
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10/1/2022 |
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10/8/2022 |
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Week Five:
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10/9/2022 |
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