Book Review: Bewicched
Book details
About the story
Low heat MF paranormal romance: Arwyn is a clairvoyant sea wicche rebuilding her coastal art studio when a mysterious werewolf joins her construction crew and complicates her carefully guarded life.
Mood
Adventurous & High-Stakes
World setting
Genres
Plot pacing
Medium-paced plot
Relationship tropes
Ending type
HFN (Happy for Now)
Content warnings
Body‑shaming / fat‑phobia, Bullying, Mentions of suicide
About the series
Bewicched is book #1 of the The Sea Wicche Chronicles series
Well, this is the first book of the series, so technically yes, but check the ending type above in case you want to avoid cliffhangers.
Book Blurb
We here at The Sea Wicche cater to your art-collecting, muffin-eating, tea-drinking, and potion-peddling needs. Palmistry and Tarot sessions are available upon request and by appointment. Our store hours vary and rely completely on Arwyn—the owner—getting her butt out of bed.
I’m Arwyn Cassandra Corey, the sea wicche, or the wicche who lives by the sea. It requires a lot more work than I’d anticipated to remodel an abandoned cannery and turn it into an art gallery & tea bar. It’s coming along, though, especially with the help of a new werewolf who’s joined the construction crew. He does beautiful work. His sexy, growly, bearded presence is very hard to ignore, but I’m trying. I’m not sure how such a laid-back guy got the local Alpha and his pack threatening to hunt him down and tear him apart, but we all have our secrets. And because I don’t want to know his—or yours for that matter—I wear these gloves. Clairvoyance makes the simplest things the absolute worst. Trust me. Or don’t. Totally up to you.
Did I mention my mother and grandmother are pressuring me to assume my rightful place on the Corey Council? That’s a kind of governing triad for our ancient magical family, one that has more than its fair share of black magic practitioners. And yes, before you ask, people have killed to be on the council—one psychotic sorceress aunt comes to mind—but I have no interest in the power or politics that come with the position. I’d rather stick to my art and, in the words of my favorite sea wicche, help poor unfortunate souls. (Good luck trying to get that song out of your head now.)
“This story hits all the right beats for a paranormal romance, and the complicating factors make the prospect of future books enticing.” ~Booklife Reviews EDITORS PICK, by Publisher’s Weekly
Content Warning: Bewicched: The Sea Wicche Chronicles is a contemporary fantasy novel with suspense elements about a clairvoyant witch who, among other things, helps detectives hunt a fledgling serial killer. While there are light, funny, romantic moments, there are also dark ones that may be disturbing for some readers. Warning for: death of/harm to a child, violence toward animals, visions that include graphic or explicit violence.We here at The Sea Wicche cater to your art-collecting, muffin-eating, tea-drinking, and potion-peddling needs. Palmistry and Tarot sessions are available upon request and by appointment. Our store hours vary and rely completely on Arwyn—the owner—getting her butt out of bed.
I’m Arwyn Cassandra Corey, the sea wicche, or the wicche who lives by the sea. It requires a lot more work than I’d anticipated to remodel an abandoned cannery and turn it into an art gallery & tea bar. It’s coming along, though, especially with the help of a new werewolf who’s joined the construction crew. He does beautiful work. His sexy, growly, bearded presence is very hard to ignore, but I’m trying. I’m not sure how such a laid-back guy got the local Alpha and his pack threatening to hunt him down and tear him apart, but we all have our secrets. And because I don’t want to know his—or yours for that matter—I wear these gloves. Clairvoyance makes the simplest things the absolute worst. Trust me. Or don’t. Totally up to you.
Did I mention my mother and grandmother are pressuring me to assume my rightful place on the Corey Council? That’s a kind of governing triad for our ancient magical family, one that has more than its fair share of black magic practitioners. And yes, before you ask, people have killed to be on the council—one psychotic sorceress aunt comes to mind—but I have no interest in the power or politics that come with the position. I’d rather stick to my art and, in the words of my favorite sea wicche, help poor unfortunate souls. (Good luck trying to get that song out of your head now.)
“This story hits all the right beats for a paranormal romance, and the complicating factors make the prospect of future books enticing.” ~Booklife Reviews EDITORS PICK, by Publisher’s Weekly
Content Warning: Bewicched: The Sea Wicche Chronicles is a contemporary fantasy novel with suspense elements about a clairvoyant witch who, among other things, helps detectives hunt a fledgling serial killer. While there are light, funny, romantic moments, there are also dark ones that may be disturbing for some readers. Warning for: death of/harm to a child, violence toward animals, visions that include graphic or explicit violence.
Rating & review
My review
I’ll be honest, I was not looking for a slow burn. When I’m in the mood to pick up a book, slow burns have to be exceptional for me not to get frustrated with them. And then I picked up Bewicched, and it’s a slow burn, and it’s exceptional. Sometimes a book just surprises you like that.
The story
This is the story of Arwyn Cassandra Corey, a 28-year-old sea wicche living in a small coastal town, rebuilding an abandoned cannery into an art gallery and tea bar. She’s clairvoyant, which means she wears gloves, because feeling things is the absolute worst when you can feel everything. The worldbuilding here is really good. I felt like I understood how this world works, and her water powers in particular were so interesting to me.
One of the things I loved most about this book is that it combines two things I really enjoy: fantasy elements where a character has powers, and knowing a lot about what that character does. Arwyn is an artist, she sculpts, and there’s a creative side to her that fits her character really well. The setting, the small coastal town, her art studio, all of it has this charm that I just loved.
The romance is on the lighter side. There are moments where Arwyn and the werewolf who joins her construction crew start getting to know each other, but the focus of this book is really her: her powers, her growth, the setup of what this series is going to be. So if you’re going in expecting heavy romance, this isn’t that. It’s more about her as a character and the world around her.
One thing that did bother me: this is a spinoff, and at a certain point in the book, the original series gets spoiled. I liked this book enough that I would have been happy to read the earlier series too, and now I can’t, because I already know what happens. That’s a real downside.
The characters
Arwyn is an extremely complex protagonist. She has a great sense of humor, not in a comedic way, but the kind that just makes you smile when you read it. She knows her family’s flaws, she understands the weight of her power, she’s layered. I just found her really charming.
The hero is a werewolf. He doesn’t get a ton of depth in this first book because everything that has to do with him really revolves around Arwyn. But for a story this centered on her, that feels right.
Final thoughts
If you’re the right reader for this, it’s going to charm you completely. I loved the protagonist, I loved the world, and I loved the writing. The spoiler issue is a real frustration, but it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed this one.
I’ll be honest, I was not looking for a slow burn. When I’m in the mood to pick up a book, slow burns have to be exceptional for me not to get frustrated with them. And then I picked up Bewicched, and it’s a slow burn, and it’s exceptional. Sometimes a book just surprises you like that.
The story
This is the story of Arwyn Cassandra Corey, a 28-year-old sea wicche living in a small coastal town, rebuilding an abandoned cannery into an art gallery and tea bar. She’s clairvoyant, which means she wears gloves, because feeling things is the absolute worst when you can feel everything. The worldbuilding here is really good. I felt like I understood how this world works, and her water powers in particular were so interesting to me.
One of the things I loved most about this book is that it combines two things I really enjoy: fantasy elements where a character has powers, and knowing a lot about what that character does. Arwyn is an artist, she sculpts, and there’s a creative side to her that fits her character really well. The setting, the small coastal town, her art studio, all of it has this charm that I just loved.
The romance is on the lighter side. There are moments where Arwyn and the werewolf who joins her construction crew start getting to know each other, but the focus of this book is really her: her powers, her growth, the setup of what this series is going to be. So if you’re going in expecting heavy romance, this isn’t that. It’s more about her as a character and the world around her.
One thing that did bother me: this is a spinoff, and at a certain point in the book, the original series gets spoiled. I liked this book enough that I would have been happy to read the earlier series too, and now I can’t, because I already know what happens. That’s a real downside.
The characters
Arwyn is an extremely complex protagonist. She has a great sense of humor, not in a comedic way, but the kind that just makes you smile when you read it. She knows her family’s flaws, she understands the weight of her power, she’s layered. I just found her really charming.
The hero is a werewolf. He doesn’t get a ton of depth in this first book because everything that has to do with him really revolves around Arwyn. But for a story this centered on her, that feels right.
Final thoughts
If you’re the right reader for this, it’s going to charm you completely. I loved the protagonist, I loved the world, and I loved the writing. The spoiler issue is a real frustration, but it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed this one.
Character & romance details
About the romance
1
Slow burn
MF
Relationship tropes
About the female lead
Ocupation
Artist / Photographer
Virgin protagonist?
No
About the love interest
Ocupation
Construction
Virgin love interest?
No
Personality
Protective
Who will love this book
Bewicched is perfect for readers who enjoy:
• Paranormal romance with a witchy, coastal, small-town vibe
• Complex, layered heroines with real depth and a quiet sense of humor
• Fantasy worldbuilding that focuses on a character’s powers and how they work
• Slow burns that are actually worth the wait
• Stories where the heroine’s creative life and profession are part of who she is
Books similar to Bewicched
- Read my Jon’s Downright Ridiculous Shooting Case review
Jon’s Downright Ridiculous Shooting CaseMM Romance: A psychic hero who accidentally fries any electronic device he touches partners with his love interest—teddy-bear on the inside, scary on the outside—to help the police solve murder mysteries.
Searching for a slow burn romance with similar humor and a protagonist with psychic powers? Then you need to check out Jon’s Downright Ridiculous Shooting Case. Don’t be put off by the title. The main difference is that this is a MM romance and there’s no werewolves or witches…sadly.
Oh hey! I’m Becky, book hugger and the one-woman team behind RBM. I hope my reviews help you find a story you’ll love.