Witch Please

By: Ann Aguirre

3/5 🥧🥧🥧 (Pretend these are cinnamon rolls)

Danica and her cousin Clementine—Clem for short—have worked in St. Claire for years. The two own a repair shop called Fix-It Witches... ironic since the two are actually witches. After Danica's longterm boyfriend marries someone else, she and Clem make a pact to remain single. A task made ever more difficult by their controlling grandmother who is determined to keep the bloodline "pure." With constant Bindr profiles send from her Gram and a bad taste in her mouth from her last relationship, Danica is ready to avoid love forever. That is, until Titus walks into her shop needing his oven repaired.

Titus—AKA Cinnaman—owns the bakery down the street. Danica has admired his ahem... buns for quite some time, but the two had never officially crossed paths. The spark is undeniable, and Danica can't help but feel as though her pact with Clem was made in haste. While Danica and Titus learn more about each other, they must navigate a meddling grandma, family drama, and a witch hunter closing in on the coven. Is love enough to beat the odds?

Witch Please was a comforting read perfect for this time in October. I will be honest, this is my second year trying to read it. The writing style is a bit elementary and casual for my taste, and I found I really had to be in a certain mood to enjoy it. The overall story is heartwarming, and Aguirre sets it up nicely for many sequels. Each character is introduced in a way that immediately calls for some reader investment. Though I wasn't a giant fan of the writing style, I love the characters enough to read the rest of the series. I also need to know how the story progresses, so I will definitely give Aguirre props for the plot points.

Where she lost me was with some of the stylistic choices and dialogue. I was really taken out of the story when the there was a scene at the airport and all of a sudden the pandemic was mentioned, discussing how it's impacting the airports. This didn't really relate to the plot and was jarring since the pandemic hadn't been relevant in the story before. Definitely not a huge deal, but it just felt out of place enough that I had to re-establish my place in the fictional world. There were also some dialogues during smutty scenes that took me out of the moment. I don't want to go too much into detail to avoid any spoilers, but some of the writing felt preachy. I am all for safe sex and open communication; however, when I'm reading a steamy moment, I don't think a speech about STD testing needs to be added in. I felt the same with Titus's sexuality. I love that he was a bi character, but I feel the representation was a little... forced. Titus's sexuality was integrated naturally enough for me.

However, all these nitpicky details were minor to me due to the strength of the characters and plot itself. I already own the second installment of the series and I actually can't wait to read it! I am beyond excited to know that is centers around Clem and her sticky love situation (I won't say what because spoilers!). I truly hope there's more spinoffs to cover Lucy, Leanne, Trevor, and of course, Maya. Overall, I would recommend this book if you are looking to unwind and get lost in a magical world. Oh, and definitely read this one with some baked goods!