Uncharmed by Lucy Jane Wood

Uncharmed (UK edition)

In Uncharmed by Lucy Jane Wood, Andromeda “Annie” Wildwood will do anything to keep up pretenses of perfection. She is drowning in the expectations of all her roles: the owner of a popular London bakery, the mentee of a witch coven leader, and a member of an ultra secret sorcerer society that runs parallel to the governing body of the witches. From her appearance to her mental decision-making processes and reactions, Annie maintains a nightly routine that includes a necromancy-laced potion bath meant to keep her image and personality pleasing to the people in her life.

So when the coven asks Annie to mentor Maeve, a teenage witch with dangerously uncontrollable powers, she agrees because saying no doesn’t fit her perfect image. They travel to a dilapidated cottage which is to be their training site for a few weeks. But nothing is as it seems, not even the dilapidated, seemingly abandoned cottage!

I absolutely adored the relationship between Maeve and Annie. They challenge each other and their relationship is full of emotional push and pull. Watching their bond grow was easily my favorite part of the story. And I loved the little easter egg nods to Snow White…it was completely unexpected but so special!

I also appreciated how seamlessly magic is woven into the world of Uncharmed. These characters’ everyday lives are woven together with magic. While I first encountered Lucy Jane Wood’s magical style in her debut Rewitched, the approach here feels even more whimsical and organic.

At its core, Uncharmed is about transformation. It's a deeply personal exploration of identity, whether you've lost yourself in the need to please, or never had a chance to discover who you are in the first place. It’s also a story of the kind of love we all yearn for, one that feels like home simply because of who we’re with. What an utter delight!