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Charming Romances: Seas and Greetings & The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

29 Oct

Seas and Greetings
by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
Seas and Greetings is part of the Christmas Notch in July Novella series, a spin off from Murphy and Simone’s holiday series, that takes place during the Summer Months and features romance for some of the secondary characters in the main line novel. I had previously reviewed their first book, A Merry Little Meet Cute. Addison Hayes is a former singer/child star who dreams of business success; the first step is a cruise featuring a Twilight Musical. Addison hires a former stunt woman, Krysta Morton to be her body guard on board. At first things seem a bit chilly on Krysta’s side, but they soon heat up on the tropical cruise. Addison is keeping a secret about a stalker though and time is ticking down for her to come clean to Krysta before it kills her budding relationship and possibly her. A lot is packed into this short piece that is only a little over 100 pages; perfect for someone looking for some spicy fun without a huge time commitment.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
by Sangu Mandanna
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is the sweet cozy fantasy romance we picked for our October, annual Halloween read, for our Hoboken Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Discussion. Mika Moon is an orphan like all witches. She has stuck to the rules her foster mom, another powerful witch, has taught her over the years which has been to keep to herself and only rarely spend time with other witches. But what she thinks will be a harmless online videos of “pretending” to be a witch draws the attention of a found family with three young witches desperately in need of a magical tutor; her lonely life might finally be over, especially if she can thaw the heart of the young witches’ father figure, a grumpy librarian, with his own secrets. This a book satisfying from beginning to end and should be a hit with fans of TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea. You can also check out Mandanna’s latest novel A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping. Next month the group will be reading Vaishnavi Patel’s Kaikeyi.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager


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Riveting British Romances: The Nanny’s Handbook to Magic and Managing Difficult Dukes & Boyfriend Material

8 Oct

The Nanny’s Handbook to Magic and Managing Difficult Dukes
by Amy Rose Bennett
The Nanny’s Handbook to Magic and Managing Difficult Dukes is a sweet historical romance for fans of Mary Poppins. The Parasol Academy trains nannies not only to take care of children but also self defense to foil kidnappers and how to use a little fairy magic to clean up messes. Newly graduated Emmeline Chase is excited to take on her first nanny role. As a young widow with a father in debtor prison she desperately could use the money, but she also seems genuinely excited to spend time with the children. She has a meet cute moment with the Xavier, the Duke of St. Laurence. Bennett described in her author’s note that she used her experience with family members and patrons she worked with who were neurodivergent to create a nuanced depiction of the Duke who is on the autism spectrum along with one of his wards, despite there not being a name for their condition at the time. It was charming to see how Xavier and Emmeline both are able to look past the prejudices of their time to find love with one another. Besides the romance there is an exciting subplot about sabotage of the Duke’s plans for an impressive memorial clock (what in our world is now Big Ben) and I loved the Duke’s witty raven which Emmeline is able to chat with.

Boyfriend Material
by Alexis Hall
Another British romance, though this one set in contemporary times, Boyfriend Material is probably the breakout hit for Alexis Hall, who I have been a long time fan of. It has been great seeing some of his older works getting republished to a wider audience. This novel is terrific example of why I love his writing, clever humor, well written and complex characters who manage to be charming despite being realistically imperfect. Luc is the scandalous son of two rock stars; Oliver is barrister who seems to always follow the rules. They seem to have nothing in common, which means if you love opposite attract stories than you will adore this one. Heartstopper fans should also enjoy this sweet romance. For those wanting more of Luc and Oliver there is also a sequel Husband Material you can check out and Father Material is due out at the beginning of June 2026.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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