Disclaimer: This book is a participant in the Indie Ink Awards 2023 and I read it as a judge. My personal rating does not reflect its score for the contest.

“They might come to see me soon. Lily tells me every week she wants to visit.”

The pain shot deeper. What must that be like, to have family members who wanted to visit? Who spoke of it often?

“That must be nice,” Ambrose said softly. “To have family.”

A queer cozy fantasy with some rivals-to-lovers thrown in. It’s an entertaining read for anyone looking for something light and quick.

The audiobook narration had a mechanical cadence to it that made it hard for me to get into it at first. I did end up getting past it but it might have influenced my enjoyment.

I think the pacing of the book could be improved as the ending felt rushed. There’s some trope subversion I found interesting, and I liked the chapter titles named after steps for a potion recipe.

I also liked both main characters who are complete opposites, but the rest of the cast felt more bland even when some of their backstories are revealed later on.

I love the found family and healing messages found in cozy fantasy, but ultimately I don’t think this one brought anything new to the genre.