A letter to three witches

Bass (Life Is Sweet) delivers an enchanting paranormal rom-com replete with laugh-out-loud banter. The Engel cousins are forbidden to practice magic, as punishment for the actions of their great-great-grandfather, whose magic accidentally caused the Dust Bowl. But Tannith--the troublemaker of the "cousin coven," which also includes Gwen, Milo, and Trudy--leaves magical mayhem in her wake when she dramatically departs the cousins' hometown of Zenobia, N.Y., leaving behind a letter informing the trio that she's placed a love spell on one of their significant others, who'll soon be joining her in New York City. Trudy, whose marriage to her husband, Laird, is crumbling, realizes she has a penchant for accidental enchantments. Milo's been "dabbling" in spellwork ever since meeting his mayoral candidate boyfriend, Brett. And while Gwen works through insecurities after moving in with her boyfriend, Daniel, she discovers a powerful magical strength. But their illegal spellcasting may incur the wrath of the Grand Council of Witches. Tannith makes for a flat antagonist--the quintessential wicked witch--but as the tale takes on an almost episodic form, moving between quirky blunders, it achieves sitcom-level humor that will have readers cackling. The ending feels a bit tidy, but it's a charming ride to get there. Fans of Practical Magic will be delighted. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Feb.)

What happens when a family of witches is forced to suppress their powers? Gwen Engel is a witch. Well, sort of. Decades ago, the Grand Council of Witches banned her family from practicing witchcraft--all because her great-great-grandfather accidentally started a little something called the Dust Bowl. The name of Gwen's upstate New York business, Abracadabra Odd Job Service, is the only vestige of her magical heritage. That is, until she and her cousins Milo and Trudy receive a letter from Tannith, Gwen's distant cousin and adoptive sister. Tannith, who spends her days talking with her cat familiar and spying on her family, informs her cousins that she's moving to New York City and taking one of their boyfriends, whom she's enchanted, with her. Whose boyfriend, you might ask? Well, that's left up to the cousins to figure out. After receiving this life-altering letter, the supernatural abilities inherent in each cousin start to spill out, and magical mayhem unfolds: "Trained or not, we were all witches. Stifle a talent too long, and it was bound to exhibit itself one way or another." Filling her book with talking animals, toad transmogrification, and love spells, Bass leans heavily into the cliché. Lacking any worldbuilding except for Witchbook, Cackle, eCharmed, and BrewTube, the cringingly named websites for witches, the novel teeters between trite and amusing and is ultimately saved by some surprising twists and the cousins' enjoyable banter. A lighthearted supernatural romp. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.