In Witch Please, Danica Waterhouse—a modern witch who co-owns the Fix-It Witches, a magical tech repair shop—finds herself in the midst of a family feud. After a disheartening break-up, she’s made a pact with her cousin not to get their hearts broken again. Their grandmother, the matriarch of the family, isn’t going to let that fly, though. Hellbent on setting Danica up with another magical man—non-magical people would only sully the bloodline—without Danica’s consent, tensions are high in the Waterhouse family. Meanwhile Titus Winnaker, owner of Sugar Daddy’s bakery, is dealing with his own set of troubles. After a long string of failed relationships and a tragic loss, all he can count on is his sister and the bakery they both love. That is, until he meets Danica. Sparks fly instantly and Titus knows, this woman is the one. But Danica is hesitant, and for good reason. Can her ever-growing feelings for Titus stand the test of time—and of her domineering grandmother’s demands for a magical partner?
I said it once and I’ll say it again: this fall is going to be witch-central when it comes to books and I am here for it. Give me magic in any shape or form, and I will want to read it.
And while the concept of Witch Please sounded right up my alley, the execution didn’t quite work for me. What mostly kept me from really loving the novel were some writing style choices. Some of the dialogue reads quite stilted, most often because Danica and Titus think what they want to say and then end up saying the exact same thing out loud with little variation in words used. That repetition did slow things down considerably. Also, some mundane (pun-five) moments were dragged on endlessly to the point where I began to question every single thing about where this plot was going. Need an example? Early on in the story, Titus describes his evening routine with his dog in such excruciating detail that I was highkey convinced that something would happen to the dog because surely no one needed a two-page deviation of a dog’s peeing and eating routine if it didn’t serve the plot—spoiler alert, the dog is fine. Elements like that kept creeping up in the story, however, and made the pace almost glacial at times.
That being said, once I got over those unfortunate pauses in the storytelling, I did actually quite enjoy the plot. There are some things that I definitely had to suspend my disbelief over and there a few unresolved issues that I hope will be picked up on in future books but Aguirre really went for the disruptive and manipulative matriarchs in the book and that’s what kept me reading. Danica’s grandmother is so domineering and does her best to make her grandkids follow whatever rules she stipulates and watching her get what’s coming to her definitely was my favourite part in the whole novel. I loved how we got to see just how intricate a web the grandmother had woven to keep Danica and others under her ruling thumb.
I also really enjoyed both Danica and Titus on their own. Danica is wary of her feelings for Titus, especially due to her grandmother’s influence. But she’s also dealing with a string of bad relationships in her past and is a busy woman who has goals beyond meeting the one. Titus, similarly, has made his job his primary focus, but he’s also a great protective brother to his sister, and though he comes on a bit too strong, really only wants to have someone in his life to share everything with. Though this story lacked tension, I still found Danica and Titus to be a cute couple. Sure, there were a few things Titus thought about Danica that threw up red flags in my mind early on, but he does turn out to be a genuinely good guy. And Aguirre does eventually deliver on the steamy scenes.
One thing this book really had going for it was the casual queer rep. Besides Titus, who is bisexual, we also have his sister who is a lesbian and in a relationship with a woman. Beyond that, there are people in the coven who are sapphic—this is the kind of casual representation I want to see in romance novels even if it isn’t the focal point of the story. Another highlight for me were the genuine female friendships. Danica and her coven all like to gossip and shoot the shit, but in the end, they’re supportive of one another and try to make each other’s lives easier in whichever way they can, which was so lovely to see, especially with Danica’s grandmother trying to make Danica cower. There’s also a very endearing side plot about Titus, his sister Maya and another new family member creating their own kind of family which tugged at my heartstrings. Found family is one of my favourite tropes and I loved that we got to see Titus and Maya create their own. All in all, even though Witch Please has its flaws, I think the female friendships, the concept of magic coming in various forms and the eventually steamy romance make up for them in spades.
With a sprinkle of magic, a handful of small-town romance and a dash of family drama, Witch Please is perfect for fans of Practical Magic!
Witch Please is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 27th 2021.
Will you be picking up Witch Please? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls in this adorable witchy rom-com with:
• A bisexual virgin baker with a curse
• A witch looking to avoid romantic entanglements
• And a chemistry between them that causes literal sparks
Danica Waterhouse is a fully modern witch—daughter, granddaughter, cousin, and co-owner of the Fix-It Witches, a magical tech repair shop. After a messy breakup that included way too much family “feedback,” Danica made a pact with her cousin: they’ll keep their hearts protected and have fun, without involving any of the overly opinionated Waterhouse matriarchs. Danica is more than a little exhausted navigating a long-standing family feud where Gram thinks the only good mundane is a dead one and Danica’s mother weaves floral crowns for anyone who crosses her path.
Three blocks down from the Fix-It Witches, Titus Winnaker, owner of Sugar Daddy’s bakery, has family trouble of his own. After a tragic loss, all he’s got left is his sister, the bakery, and a lifetime of terrible luck in love. Sure, business is sweet, but he can’t seem to shake the romantic curse that’s left him past thirty and still a virgin. He’s decided he’s doomed to be forever alone.
Until he meets Danica Waterhouse. The sparks are instant, their attraction irresistible. For him, she’s the one. To her, he’s a firebomb thrown in the middle of a family war. Can a modern witch find love with an old-fashioned mundane who refuses to settle for anything less than forever?
