Book Review: Witchy Coffee by Erin Ritch

Witchy Coffee by Erin Ritch is a magical romance. A fanciful coffee shop run by magical women. A barista that’s still trying to figure herself out. And a small town named Windia where the residents drink coffee and get into everyone’s business. When a stranger shows up in town and puts her family’s coffee shop in jeopardy, Florence Mackenzie has to step in and do something to protect them, whether that’s an Espresso Off challenge, sabotage, or a good old fashioned banishment spell. But after the Mackenize women try to create a buzz by experimenting with a new blend of coffee beans, the residents of Windia suddenly start falling in love with each other. Florence chalks it up to the spirit of the holiday season, but when she starts falling in love (with the competition, no less) Florence starts to wonder if there’s something more bewitching in the air - or in the coffee? 

Witchy Coffee started strong for me. I enjoyed the set up and the combination of witchy romance, enemies to lovers, and small town vibes. That all worked really well for me. I liked the complicated relationship between Florence and her family, and of the town she had left behind. I really enjoyed the secondary characters and how most of the action in the small town played out. I was engaged and invested in how every thing would come together and turn out. The family connections were fantastic, the small town support and quirks made me happy. The added drama of a noisy reporter and an ex just made things more interesting, even if they each had a couple odd moments for me. Then it felt like things went a bit off track. The last third of the book just felt different from the rest, it just felt like all the subtle magic was not enough and a resolution to the romance needed to be created quickly, so everything went into warp drive and it just did not fit in with the mood of the rest of the book. Then the final chapter wrapped everything up way too closely and neatly- in ways that just did not necessarily make sense to me but succeeded in getting everyone what they needed. 

Witchy Coffee is a fun and interesting romance.