LOVE SPELLS TROUBLE

Cayden Maya Jackson is a young witch in Houston, Texas, who’s caught between worlds.

Seventeen-year-old Cayden, who dreams of attending Howard University, helps out at Cayden’s Confections, her father’s bakery, and Lucky Paws, the animal rescue attached to her mother’s veterinary clinic. In a world where witches have lived in the open since 1919, Cayden’s mixed family—she has a witch mom and nonmagical dad—lives outside the exclusionary Coven House system her mother grew up in. Her maternal grandparents, members of the Dallas Coven, still believe in the “separate-from-and-better-than-you model.” After Cayden learns that gentrification has led to rent increases at her parents’ businesses, causing them serious money troubles, she decides to work more hours to help them save on staffing costs. She meets wealthy Khy Carter, a cute boy who’s adopting a dog from Lucky Paws, and after they spend a fun day together, Khy’s status as Coven royalty puts Cayden in the spotlight. Fake dating—because on principle she won’t really date someone as bougie as him—will bring much-needed customers to Cayden’s Confections and help Khy’s reputation following a very public breakup. But real feelings grow, and their different worlds start closing in on them. This well-paced, largely satisfying romance that explores social class features likeable Black characters, but the worldbuilding feels forced and clunky, undermining the attempt to create a whimsical, magical atmosphere.

A sweet if somewhat uneven summer romance.