Valerie S

Stay a Spell is pure fun wrapped in magic. From the very first pages, the story swept me into a whimsical, fairytale-like world that felt cozy, enchanting, and impossible to leave. The magical elements aren't just decorative—they set a tone that feels warm and dreamy, like stepping into a story you wish you could wander through yourself.

I absolutely loved the main character, especially her traveling lifestyle, which added a sense of adventure that made me unable to put the book down. And the bookshop where much of the story takes place? It's a character in its own right—comfortable, alive, and brimming with charm. If you're someone who believes bookstores have souls, this one will steal your heart.

What truly makes Stay a Spell shine, though, is its portrayal of relationships between women. The friendships feel genuine, often complicated, and beautifully layered—no forced drama, just real connection and care. Especially the intergenerational relationships that bloom. And then there's Bash. The male lead is cheeky, rugged, and completely lovable in a way that feels genuine. He's the kind of character you root for without even realizing it.

If you love stories that celebrate community, cozy spaces, and the magic that can exist right where you are—this book will hit the mark for you. This is one you won't want to miss. It's heartfelt, magical, and brimming with the kind of charm that lingers long after the last page!

I was so excited for this book! The premise of teenage girls in 1970's Singapore who have fire magic and a goddess was so intriguing! However, I found the writing to be clunky and wanted to DNF it 25 of the way through the book. But I persevered. Much of my issue with the writing was that I would read paragraphs, and even pages, and little would sink in or stand out. I found myself regularly re-reading passages/pages/chapters not because I couldn't understand what was going on, but because it just didn't stick with me.

We spend a good amount of time learning about the main character, Adeline, and her peers at her private boarding school, and then abandon all those storylines until the final bit of the book. And the build up around the "Maria's" seemed like it would be important later, and while they come back into the story, it could have just been the 1 main girl, Elain, without disrupting any of the story. And when they do reenter the story, they are accompanied by a boyfriend, whose addition seems to serve no purpose. After Adaline leaves the boarding school, the reader must play catch-up to learn about the Butterflies she joins, with little time and little character development for the myriad side characters. Several of them seemed to blend in to one another and I often forgot who was doing what and how it related to the story. The interactions with Genevieve, Adaline's mother's confidant, seemed rushed, and the entirety of her husband and family was largely unnecessary to the story.

A list of gang and character names are absolutely needed. I struggled to keep track, and I so desperately wanted to understand the system of magic in this world. But it felt like new gangs would just appear in the story at any random time. A map of gang territory in Singapore would be helpful, as well. I also got confused by references to Lady Butterfly, Madam Butterfly, and tang ki chi (I think that's the spelling). Are they all the same? And the split between Red Butterfly and Yellow Butterfly? The story takes place in 1970's Singapore, newly independent. However, I forgot it was set in the 70's until most of the way through the book when they mentioned dressing for a disco. That seemed like such an important plot point, and then it just faded into the background until we see some references to Hippies and discos in the final 10 of the story.

The premise of the story was so exciting. I would recommend this for YA readers, since the main characters are all so young, and for those who drift towards female rage stories. The possibility for this "world" is so lush, I hope some of the pacing and/or loose-thread character development can be buttoned up.

The fact that this murder mystery centers around a larger-bodied women who is painfully independent and is set in an all-too realistic academic background had me interested from the beginning. As the book unfolds, the reader is introduced to the murder victim (and his many sides) and the supporting cast of characters as Margaret Finch tries to figure out whodunit. There are satisfying twist and turns along the way, specifically for the grieving widow of the murder victim, and I did not feel I had the murderer figured out until the very end. Each of the supporting characters is well developed and have real-life faults that make them quite relatable.

This is a fun and easy read, a great palate cleanser between heavy reads or long series. I loved how easy it was to drop into the world of Margaret Finch, stay a while and then leave without being left hanging on edge or wondering what comes next. It was interesting enough, though, that if readers were given the opportunity to revisit Margaret in the future, one could easily drop back by.