A Widow’s Charm is an intriguing mix of Regency romance, fantasy, and a bit of mystery, all set in a world where magic is something to hide instead of cherish. This world is a glimpse at what happens centuries after non-magical beings corrupt history to turn magic into something evil. It’s misunderstood and creates most of the tension in the book beyond the romantic tension constantly brewing between the two protagonists. The book is billed as cozy fantasy, but I wouldn’t really call it cozy, and I don’t feel like it needed to be. The stakes are high for both protagonists and the constant threat of discovery makes it both exciting and anxious. Overall, it’s perfect if you’re looking for light fantasy, a solid romance, and a few comical back-and-forth montages reminiscent of Abbott and Costello.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Hazy Magic

Even though the magic was light in the book, I still found it very interesting. The only knowledge our protagonist has of her charm is through stories warning her to hide it or be executed. We don’t get to know how many varieties of charms there are, how they actually work, what the cost is, etc. The only real historical reference she has is through fairy tales and the realization that the characters might be more fact than fiction. There are definitely levels of intensity – her refreshing onions versus him accidentally reanimating a battlefield of soldiers – but they all operate relatively the same way. 

The Love Story

I was pleasantly surprised by the love story and how well done it was. I knew this was a romance but I expected it to be heavy on the fantasy and light on the romantic aspects. The book was much closer to a Regency romance with heaps of yearning and clothing mishaps. They’re in the opposites attract boat at the start, but by the end it’s clear how similar they are to each other. She grows quickly as a character, learning to trust others and not try to run the world herself, while he essentially grows up from a petulant teenage going on thirty into a man who accounts for his past actions. 

The Supporting Cast

The cast of supporting characters added a lot to the story as well, giving us a variety of perspectives on both sides. Favorites included the lawyer who finds the most amazing loopholes, the grumpy groundskeeper who does nothing but also saves the day multiple times, and Rollo, the most important badger hound to ever grace the pages of a romantasy. He was the best part and I found myself laughing every time he ran onto the page. It’s just another expert way the author draws you into the story.

The Dog

Rollo, Rollo, Rollo. He’s the worst and that makes him the best.