Published by Ballantine Books on April 7, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Rating:
Goodreads
She can hop into any novel, she just can’t stay there. Come along with the book witch in this magical and inspiring love letter to reading from the USA Today bestselling author of The Wishing Game.
Rainy March is a proud third-generation book witch, sworn to defend works of fiction from all foes real and imaginary. With her magical umbrella and feline familiar, she jumps into and out of novels to fix malicious alterations and rogue heroes.
Book witches live by a strict Real people belong in the real word; fictional characters belong in works of fiction…. Do not eat, drink, or sleep inside a fictional world, lest you become part of the story. Falling in love with a fictional character? Don’t even think about it.
Which is why Rainy has been forbidden from seeing the Duke of Chicago, the dashing British detective who stars in her favorite mystery series. If she’s ever caught with him again, she’ll be expelled from her book coven—and forced to give up the magical gifts that are as much a part of her as her own name.
But when her beloved grandfather disappears and a priceless book is stolen, there’s only one person she trusts to help her solve the case: the Duke. Their quest takes them through the worlds of Alice in Wonderland, The Great Gatsby, and other classics that will reveal hidden enemies and long-buried family secrets.
Rainy March was a dedicated Book Witch who protected and saved multitudes of books from the Burners. After crossing the line and falling in love with a fictional character, Rainy found herself needing to cross another line in order to recover a beloved book and find her Pops.
I knew from page one that this was going to be a huge hit for me. I have penchant for book about books, and The Book Witch went above and beyond here. The whole concept of a book witch and what they did was engrossing and entertaining, but was also so delightful to me as a book lover. A show of hands - who wants to jump in and out of stories? **This Girl!** And, Shaffer featured so many recognizable characters and books which added to the fun. There was even a nod to Clock Island from The Wishing Game.
There was lots of action and adventure as Rainy book jumped and tried to solve a mystery that fell into her lap, but there was also tons of adoration for books built into the story. As a book lover, I easily latched on to the ideas related to the power of books and how they can enhance our lives. And let me tell you, this is such a quotable book! If you are searching for great quotes about reading, you will find plenty right here. I worked over-time highlighting as I read.
Overall: I reveled in this whimsical and wonderful story which warmed my heart and fed the reader in me while stoking the flames of nostalgia.
Published by Berkley on April 7, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction
Rating:
Goodreads
Charlie Jones has her dream fresh start. But Charlie Jones is trying to steal it ...
The Isle of population 500, soon to be 501.
Charlie Jones has landed on the island to embark on her brand new life. As the manager at Ormer's only farm shop, this job will be her perfect next chapter. Good riddance to the mainland, this is it - fresh air, and a clean slate.
Except there is one small issue ...
Charlie Jones has also just arrived on the Isle of Ormer, to embark on his brand new life. His job at the farm shop feels like fate, and could not have come at a better moment. On Ormer, Charlie has promised himself he'll escape old friends, bad habits and heartbreak.
This second chance is the best thing that could have happened to Charlie . . . and Charlie.
That is, until they are introduced . . .
The Isle of Ormer sounded like the perfect place for Charlie Jones to start anew, but when he arrived, he found ANOTHER Charlie Jones had also been offered the shop manager position. They had two months to show which Charlie Jones should keep the job as well as their new life on Ormer.
This book reminded me of a personal story. It was over 20 years ago, when one of my friends said they liked my Facebook picture, and I was surprised because I did NOT have a Facebook. It turned out there was someone with my same first and last name who lived in Ohio. Now, my last name is NOT common, so I was very surprised.
Back on track, I thought the whole two-people-one-name was a fun premise. I mean, what are the chances that TWO people with the same name received the same handwritten job offer to be manager of this tiny island store? I had no idea, but I was curious to learn more.
Ormer was a special place, and the island was filled with quirky characters who had the standard small-town-in-your-business vibes. I enjoyed getting to know them all as they made me laugh and smile, but I also wanted to know more about them and what secrets they were keeping.
There were laughs, but this story was also quite emotional. Both (female) Charlie and (male) Jones were looking to leave their lives behind on the mainland. They wanted fresh starts in a place where their pasts were unknown. There were reasons, and those reasons were slowly revealed via flashbacks, journals, and emails.
And then, IT happened! O'Leary No-Showed me. If you read that book, you may understand what I am talking about. If you haven't, let's just say, she revealed something that changed the whole story for me. I had to go back and reprocess everything I thought about the Charlies, and I LOVED IT! It was brilliant, and I won't lie, this is when the book went from a solid 4-stars to 4.5-stars.
Overall, I found this to be a wonderful and twisty tale. I found the Charlies easy to root for, I loved getting to know the island and its inhabitants, I shed some happy and sad tears, and I am STILL reveling in that twist.
*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER
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