Meg Shaffer
Ballantine Books
9 April 2026
320
eBook - PDF
Fantasy Romance
Xmas Gift
Rainy March is a proud third-generation book witch, sworn to defend works of fiction from all foes real and imaginary. With her magical umbrella and feline familiar, she jumps into and out of novels to fix malicious alterations and rogue heroes.
Book witches live by a strict Real people belong in the real word; fictional characters belong in works of fiction…. Do not eat, drink, or sleep inside a fictional world, lest you become part of the story. Falling in love with a fictional character? Don’t even think about it.
Which is why Rainy has been forbidden from seeing the Duke of Chicago, the dashing British detective who stars in her favorite mystery series. If she’s ever caught with him again, she’ll be expelled from her book coven—and forced to give up the magical gifts that are as much a part of her as her own name.
But when her beloved grandfather disappears and a priceless book is stolen, there’s only one person she trusts to help her solve the case: the Duke. Their quest takes them through the worlds of Alice in Wonderland, The Great Gatsby, and other classics that will reveal hidden enemies and long-buried family secrets.
As I started reading The Book Witch my mind immediately turned to The Eyre Affair. It felt to me like a similar scenario of someone going into a book to set things right with a character because another shadowy group/person (like the Burners in The Book Witch) is trying to disrupt things. The main female character even has a quirky name in both: Rainy March in this one and Thursday Next in The Eyre Affair. I was therefore surprised not to have seen The Eyre Affair mentioned in any promotion or in the author's acknowledgements/end papers. Because of the similarities between the two works, this book initially felt to me like a bit of a rehash of an older idea. However, it did take some twists and turns as the plot progressed which made it feel more fresh and original. The plot was generally fun, and I liked how the sections progressed, casting the story in the light of different genres. The romance elements were okay; although, I thought the Duke fell for Rainy a bit too suddenly. In Rainy's case, she fell in love with him though reading his books before ever meeting him, so her infatuation seemed natural. His, on the other hand bordered a little on instalove. All that said, this was certainly an enjoyable literary romp and is certain to appeal to any bookworms out there, as it was fun to spot all the references to other works. I am giving it 4.5 stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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