I saw a tweet from the author go by about this book just prior to release, highlighting the following aspects of the plot:

…friends-to-lovers, witches, farmers, ladies being supportive of each other, and/or a slightly misanthropic lady-witch farmer wrestling with her feelings for her best friend while her coven supports her no matter what.

I am indeed here for all of these things, so I bought the novella and read it immediately. This is the second third in a series, and I met the protagonists of the previous story, but I wasn’t lost as to who was who.

The description checks out: Katie inherited her grandparents’ farm outside the Twin Cities in Minnesota, and as an Earth Witch is very suited to her work. She’s got a best friend, Micah, whose restaurant she invested in, and her farm provides the produce for much of his menu. Plus they spend acres of time (ba dum bum) together, and have been inseparable since kindergarten.

Katie’s also a member of a local coven of witches, and that was the first thing that left me wanting much more in terms of development: I wanted more witch and craft. I learned that there are multiple kinds of witchcraft, and it’s an inherited trait. And I learned a small amount about the coven, but not really enough about what it does, or how it’s useful to have one, aside from wine, pie, and friendship. I learned that Katie has some unique and powerful talents, but not enough about how she uses them in her daily life on her farm. I love stories about witchcraft where the practitioners thereof aren’t trying to defeat demons or destroy the world, but instead are making their lives work in their communities with the talents they have. Cozy witches! I love a good cozy witch romance.

But I wanted more about the talents the women possess, and how their witchcraft influenced their lives, especially with Katie. Does she use magic every day, or just occasionally as needed? Was it underpinning everything she did, from fixing fences to planting or harvesting? As it was, mention of witchery seemed to come and go as the plot needed. When it was mentioned, I wanted so much more, such as Jess talking about potions she wishes she could make:

The community surrounding Katie, including the coven, her neighbors, and the people who are in relationships with her coven friends, is casually inclusive in a way I appreciated. The presence of characters of color and queer individuals made the warm and fuzzy tone of the story even more welcoming for me. And Katie, as the narrator (third person, for those who worry) is very funny – my neighbor heard me laughing and texted me to find out what I was reading.

I do want to point out that there were some typos, extra words, and other signs of a need for closer editorial attention. Details about characters were repeated unnecessarily, such as with Katie’s friend Jess, who will always and every time she appears do something “shyly.” It got to the point where I wasn’t sure what the word even meant any more.

The biggest flaw for me was the brittleness of the conflict between Katie and Micah the longer it went on. They have it bad for one another, but Katie won’t address her feelings directly, partially out of habit and partially because she values their relationship so much that risking the loss of it was impossible. The thing is, Katie draws that conclusion on her own, and despite being fluent in her own mental gymnastics for avoiding problems, she convinces herself that she knows what’s best for Micah, and that she’s so bad at relationships (not that she’s had many) that she’d end up hurting him. She knows she has some kind of feelings for him, but she doesn’t want to examine them closely so she pushes them aside. When Micah brings up his feelings for her, she becomes uncharacteristically dense and obtuse, and sometimes that obtuseness is terribly cruel. Her character shifts weirdly whenever the Actual Relationship Subject comes up. Toward the end, the conflict was sustained on behavior that didn’t enhance her character, and made me think less of her as a friend, too.

Even with the flaws I’ve mentioned here, I enjoyed this story and am very glad I read it. It was the right combination of elements for my brain at this moment. The characters are figuring life out, like anyone else, and are taking care of one another in loving and realistic ways, with the addition of witchcraft of varying strengths. I liked the community surrounding Katie, and I really liked visiting with and hanging out with her coven for the time I was reading. I wish the strength of the conflict and the involvement of the witchcraft had been stronger, but I do think this is an author, and a series, to watch.