BEWICCHED

In this contemporary fantasy series starter, Kelly offers a humorous portrait of a lonely witch (or “wicche”) facing pressures from her family, romantic tension with a werewolf, and unsettling visions.

Twenty-eight-year-old Arwyn Cassandra Corey, the owner of an art gallery/tea bar in Monterey, California, called The Sea Wicche, is a wicche herself. Her relationship with her family is fraught: Her mother, Sybil Corey, and grandmother, Gran, want her to join the Corey Council, a governing triad that “oversaw all disputes, heard pleas for help, and granted magical aid” to family members. But Arwyn’s goal is simpler: to spend time with creatures she considers her friends, including a starfish she calls Charlie and Wilbur, a seal who plays fetch. She’s always experienced upsetting visions—a normal part of being a wicche—but lately, their intensity has increased. She meets Declan Quinn, a steadfast and dreamy werewolf who’s affectionate toward her, but she’s sworn off sex and dating; wicches have sensory issues, and “dating sucked when touch meant picking up every stray thought and emotion.” Her painful psychic visions could help the Corey Council, but they take a serious toll on Arwyn’s health and well-being. Sybil’s and Gran’s repeated attempts to get Arwyn to join it make her believe that, although they love her, they “love what I can do more.” Although the protagonist narrator’s often humorous tone sets a light mood for the story, Kelly sets serious stakes; Arwyn sees a vision of a woman’s death early on, who turns out to be her 21-year-old cousin, Pearl. This launches a mystery investigation involving another Quinn werewolf, that werewolf’s angry vampire husband, several other supernatural beings, and Corey wicches. The book’s humor is quick-witted and punchy, although readers may find some jokes a bit corny, as when Arwyn scolds her mother about werewolf etiquette: “Don’t use the word fetch. It’s rude. He’s not a dog.” Overall, Arwyn’s conversational voice creates the charming effect of hearing a story from an eccentric—and unlucky—friend.

A supernatural mystery with a well-developed protagonist, hit-or-miss humor, and a swoon-worthy love interest.