Some books arrive just when you need a warm blanket and a pot of tea. A Spell for Second Chances was one of those for me.
Renee is going home. Widowed and weary, she packs up her life and her dog and moves back to Hemlock Hollow, the small town where she grew up, to live with her mother. It is no ordinary town. For hundreds of years, a small circle of witches has lived here, quietly and peacefully, tending a magic that hums beneath everyday life.
Renee is only just beginning to rebuild when she senses something is wrong. The magic has been disturbed. Small things start going awry, and there are events no one can explain, a restlessness in the magical realm that she cannot ignore. Then, just as she is starting to settle, there is a murder. Somehow, Renee finds herself standing among the suspects.
Can she uncover what is unsettling the magic of Hemlock Hollow? Who is the real killer? And what is truly happening in this sleepy, spellbound little town?
The book opens with an easy charm and keeps a steady, comfortable pace throughout. The mystery never rushes, but it never drags either, and I found myself reading on and on.
I will be honest, though. I guessed the killer before the book got there. But the reason, the why behind it all, was hidden far better than the who. That is what kept me reading even after I thought I had it figured out. I enjoy a mystery that still holds a surprise in its back pocket, and this one did.
What I loved most was something quieter. Renee is not a teenager finding her powers, nor a twenty-something stumbling into romance. She is a middle-aged woman, grieving and starting over, surrounded by friends and foes who are just as seasoned. Their lives are lived-in, their histories layered.
I am approaching forty myself, and rather quickly, if I am being truthful. So there was a quiet pleasure in reading about a woman who is allowed to begin again at this age, with all her softness and scars intact. We rarely get stories that tell us second chances do not expire at thirty. This one does, and it does so gently.
Tara Lush’s prose is good: clean, warm and unfussy. It carries you along without ever demanding too much of you. There is nothing here that will leave you pondering its depths for weeks, and that is perfectly fine. Not every book needs to wound or transform us. Some simply need to keep us company.
If you want a light, relaxing read, with a touch of magic, a dash of mystery and a small town you would not mind getting lost in, pick this up. It is perfect for a slow weekend, a rainy afternoon, or those evenings when your mind wants rest but your heart still wants a story.
If you prefer your mysteries dark, twisty and impossible to predict, this may feel a little too gentle. But for what it sets out to be, it delivers beautifully. A cosy, enjoyable read with a lovely, grown-up heart.
My Rating: 3.5/5
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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