Book Review: A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping
by Sangu Mandanna

 Book title: A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping
Author: Sangu Mandanna
Genre: Cozy fantasy
Published: July 15, 2025
352 pages
My rating: 3.5/5

“There is always a little magic in the heart of a person who loves it.”

Sera Swan used to be the most powerful young witch in Britain, until an illegal resurrection spell caused her to lose most of her magic and be evicted from the magical Guild. Now at thirty, she runs an inn with the help of what little magic she has left. When she learns about an ancient spell that might help her restore her powers, she turns to magical historian Luke Larsen to ask for his help. Together with Sera’s weird found family, they set about to reclaim Sera’s lost magic.

 A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping is Sangu Mandanna’s standalone adult cozy fantasy with a strong romantic subplot. I listened to it as an audiobook, and I thought the narrator did a great job in bringing the characters to life. The writing style was witty and bantery – a little too witty to my taste at points. Not every sentence needs to try that hard to be witty. I find that this type of bantery narration so typical of romantic comedy and chick lit can get on my nerves if I consume too much of it. But if you love that style of narration, you’ll probably enjoy this book! 

Book Review: The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

Book title: The Hurricane Wars
Author: Thea Guanzon
Genre: Romantasy
Published: October 3, 2023
470 pages
My rating: 3.5/5

“He heard the girl before he saw her, a high and golden hum that cut through the chaos of battle like the first flare of sunrise.”

Having grown up as an orphan in a nation occupied by The Night Empire, Talasyn has only ever known the Hurricane Wars. She uses the power of light to fight for freedom, but everything changes when she uncovers the secret of her past. Alaric Ossinast, on the other hand, wields shadow magic to crush those who stand in the way of the Night Empire. But then he clashes with Talasyn, and soon they are thrust into an uneasy alliance to save the world.

The Hurricane Wars is the first book in Thea Guanzon’s adult romantasy trilogy. If you want an enemies-to-lovers fantasy where a petite and helpless woman learns to use her powers and spends half of the book marveling at how tall and solid and muscular the dark and brooding love interest is, you’ll probably enjoy The Hurricane Wars.

Book Review: A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass

A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass

Book Title: A Thousand Heartbeats (*Amazon affiliate link)
Author: Kiera Cass
Genre: YA fantasy, fantasy romance
Published: November 29, 2022 by HarperTeen
565 pages
My rating: 3/5

“Love has a sound. It sounds like a thousand heartbeats happening at the same time.”

Princess Annika lives a life of luxury in the prosperous kingdom of Kadier, but her life isn’t hers to control. Her father is forcing her to form a marriage alliance to duke Nickolas for political gain. Meanwhile, in the decaying Vosino Castle, Lennox prepares for a war to take back the throne from Annika’s father. When these two enemies meet, the call of a thousand heartbeats binds their fates together.

A Thousand Heartbeats is a Young Adult standalone fantasy romance. I expected the book to have more fantasy elements, especially as the cover seems to imply that the characters live in a world with a lot of water. But no. There’s no magic or magical creatures. Basically the only thing that makes the novel a fantasy is that it takes place in a fictional world. The setting is medieval-esque with its castles and princesses and warring kingdoms, so this book could be classified as a Young Adult fairytale.