Spells for Lost Things
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- Create Date：2022-09-06 08:53:50
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jenna Evans Welch
- ISBN：153444887X
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Summary
From the New York Times bestselling author of Love & Gelato comes a poignant and romantic novel about two teens trying to find their place in the world after being unceremoniously dragged to Salem， Massachusetts， for the summer。
Willow has never felt like she belonged anywhere and is convinced that the only way to find a true home is to travel the world。 But her plans to act on her dream are put on hold when her aloof and often absent mother drags Willow to Salem， Massachusetts， to wrap up the affairs of an aunt Willow didn’t even know she had。 An aunt who may or may not have been a witch。
There， she meets Mason， a loner who’s always felt out of place and has been in and out of foster homes his entire life。 He’s been classified as one of the runaways， constantly searching for ways to make it back to his mom; even if she can’t take care of him， it’s his job to try and take care of her。 Isn’t it？
Naturally pulled to one another， Willow and Mason set out across Salem to discover the secret past of Willow’s mother， her aunt， and the ambiguous history of her family。 During all of this， the two can’t help but act on their natural connection。 But with the amount of baggage between them—and Willow’s growing conviction her family might be cursed—can they manage to hold onto each other？
Willow has never felt like she belonged anywhere and is convinced that the only way to find a true home is to travel the world。 But her plans to act on her dream are put on hold when her aloof and often absent mother drags Willow to Salem， Massachusetts， to wrap up the affairs of an aunt Willow didn’t even know she had。 An aunt who may or may not have been a witch。
There， she meets Mason， a loner who’s always felt out of place and has been in and out of foster homes his entire life。 He’s been classified as one of the runaways， constantly searching for ways to make it back to his mom; even if she can’t take care of him， it’s his job to try and take care of her。 Isn’t it？
Naturally pulled to one another， Willow and Mason set out across Salem to discover the secret past of Willow’s mother， her aunt， and the ambiguous history of her family。 During all of this， the two can’t help but act on their natural connection。 But with the amount of baggage between them—and Willow’s growing conviction her family might be cursed—can they manage to hold onto each other？
Reviews
Ali - My Calendar is Booked
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𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 takes place in Salem， has a host of witch aunties， and had me feeling more emotions than I thought was possible！ Mason， who is in the foster care system， does all that he can， including run away， to be with his mom， even if she can’t take care of him。 When Mason would speak of his love for his mother and the abandonment that he feels， I was gutted。 There is also Willow， our MC， who feels like she has never belonged anywhere， especially after her parent’s divorce。 Though a 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 takes place in Salem， has a host of witch aunties， and had me feeling more emotions than I thought was possible！ Mason， who is in the foster care system， does all that he can， including run away， to be with his mom， even if she can’t take care of him。 When Mason would speak of his love for his mother and the abandonment that he feels， I was gutted。 There is also Willow， our MC， who feels like she has never belonged anywhere， especially after her parent’s divorce。 Though a rocky relationship， Willow’s bond with her mom was beautifully written。 Although it’s not necessarily a spooky read， I think 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 is the YA book of the season。 Welch does a phenomenal job of depicting a multitude of relationships。 。。。more
Beth Moshier
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Spells For Lost Things is a feel-good， heart-warming book about chasing after what you want and sometimes allowing magic to step in and help。 The characters were very relatable and I loved the setting in Salem， MA。 This was a 5-star read for me！
Emily
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What a wonderful （and witchy） romantic read
Megan D
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“The story began as many stories do， with a girl who bloomed too big for the space that the world had carved out for her。”Spells for Lost Things， Jenna Evans Welsh🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Attention to all my fall loving， pumpkin spice latte drinking， witchy witches。 This book is the PERFECT early fall read。 Evans Welsh managed to encapsulate all the warm fuzzies sweater weather has to offer throughout this book。 Even though this story is new to me there’s a sense of nostalgia to this story the same way movies like “The story began as many stories do， with a girl who bloomed too big for the space that the world had carved out for her。”Spells for Lost Things， Jenna Evans Welsh🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Attention to all my fall loving， pumpkin spice latte drinking， witchy witches。 This book is the PERFECT early fall read。 Evans Welsh managed to encapsulate all the warm fuzzies sweater weather has to offer throughout this book。 Even though this story is new to me there’s a sense of nostalgia to this story the same way movies like Hocus Pocus， KiKi’s Delivery Service， Halloweentown， and most of all Practical Magic do。 Not only does Spells for Lost Things take place in Salem， MA but also revolves around a family of modern witches。 Its the ultimate cozy fall read。 And It might be my favorite from this author so far。 I can absolutely see myself returning to this book every year around this time。 It gives me just enough witchiness to start getting excited for the season。 But also the plotline is magical enough to make me feel like I’m on an emotional journey。 As someone who is incredibly close with her mom， it was so emotional to read about two characters as they explore and analyze the relationships they have with their mothers。 Mason and Willow grow so much from beginning to end， but the real hero of this book is Emma。 （No spoilers， but she made me cry for the first time in ages。） You’ll just have to read to understand my love for this woman。 Evans Welsh’s books are unique YAs。 While she wraps her plot around an adorable high school romance， she gives bits and pieces of very mature topics and focuses an almost equal amount on the adults as she does the teens。 And that just makes her books perfect for all audiences。Thank you Net Galley for the eARC， this was a major treat for me！ 。。。more
Mlpmom （Book Reviewer）
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This has to be one of my most favorites books by Welch to date。 I adored everything about it。 From the hint of magic。 to the real life issues that almost anyone， some how can relate to， the family dynamics， in all their different sizes， shapes and forms and of course， the absolutely endearing love this book has。 Everything about it was truly magical and I couldn't get enough of it。I found myself constantly thinking about the characters whenever I had to regretfully put the book down and I was so This has to be one of my most favorites books by Welch to date。 I adored everything about it。 From the hint of magic。 to the real life issues that almost anyone， some how can relate to， the family dynamics， in all their different sizes， shapes and forms and of course， the absolutely endearing love this book has。 Everything about it was truly magical and I couldn't get enough of it。I found myself constantly thinking about the characters whenever I had to regretfully put the book down and I was so sad that it ended while at the same time being perfectly happy and content with how it ended。 I did not want this beautiful， deep， wonderfully magical story to be over and I know this will be one I will be thinking about long after I have finished it。 *ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review。* 。。。more
Emily
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My favorite book by Jenna Evans Welch yet！ Loved this story and the characters so much。
Jennie
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Mason and Willow both feel as though they are looking for something， and they are both going to cross paths for the first time when each finds themselves unexpectedly in Salem， Massachusetts。 Jenna Evans Welch has crafted a beautiful， heartfelt story about connection， longing， hope， and love sprinkled with a bit of sweet romance and magic。 Both Mason and Willow were wonderful characters， I loved the fact that the story was told in dual POV and allowed us to get a bit more from each of them。 I fe Mason and Willow both feel as though they are looking for something， and they are both going to cross paths for the first time when each finds themselves unexpectedly in Salem， Massachusetts。 Jenna Evans Welch has crafted a beautiful， heartfelt story about connection， longing， hope， and love sprinkled with a bit of sweet romance and magic。 Both Mason and Willow were wonderful characters， I loved the fact that the story was told in dual POV and allowed us to get a bit more from each of them。 I felt each felt so authentic and different， it was a pleasure to read about their experiences and wants – it was also very sweet to see their interactions together。 I was rooting for both to find what they were respectively looking for， and I really enjoyed the element of mystery / magic that the ‘quest’ they were sharing provided。The story was such a quick and relaxing read， as a native New Englander – I adored the setting and despite the season in the story （summer）， I couldn’t help but image this read as one taking place in early fall （my favorite season， and the one that gives me the best cozy， New England vibes）。 I felt like I was there with them， exploring the bits of Salem and more importantly the mystery （and magic？） around the Bell residence。 Two standout pieces for me had to be the epistolary element that was woven into the story and served as a story within the story if you will。 I found the letters （and accompanying story） to be charming and really interesting。 I enjoyed many things about the book， but the other standout for me was how things came together and wrapped up in the end。 In an attempt to keep things spoiler free， I won’t say anymore。This was a lovely read， and I think my favorite from Jenna Evans Welch so far。 Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read an early copy。 All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and freely offered。 。。。more
Stacia | stacialovestoread
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DNF on page 34 Having read the author’s previous works， I thought this book would be similar， but with the magic of Salem， MA sprinkled in。 Twas not。 ———————-Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me this free book in exchange for an honest review。
Lindsay Montague
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I may be on day one of my period but the last third of this made me weepy
Karen
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I'll be honest。 I was expecting perhaps a fun story but nothing much beyond that going into this book。 So I was pleasantly surprised to find that I greatly enjoyed it and also got quite emotional during parts of it！ My eyes were not dry toward the end of the book。Basically， our two main characters have found themselves in Salem near the beginning of summer。 Willow's mother is settling the estate of a family member， and Mason is going to live with a new foster family。 They meet and help each othe I'll be honest。 I was expecting perhaps a fun story but nothing much beyond that going into this book。 So I was pleasantly surprised to find that I greatly enjoyed it and also got quite emotional during parts of it！ My eyes were not dry toward the end of the book。Basically， our two main characters have found themselves in Salem near the beginning of summer。 Willow's mother is settling the estate of a family member， and Mason is going to live with a new foster family。 They meet and help each other in what they are searching for。 But this book is so much more than that。Willow feels estranged from her mother。 She longs to travel and is upset that her mother has said no to her plans to study abroad for her last year of high school。 But in going to Salem with her mother， she finds out that she knows nothing about her mother's past and the family she left behind （or the curse on their family）。Mason's mother is an addict and although she's tried to get clean multiple times for her son， she hasn't been successful。 Mason is going to a new family where the foster mother used to be friends with his mother。 But although this is a wonderful family， he longs to be back with his own mother。This book is ultimately about family and belonging and relationships。 I was really drawn into the story and truly cared about these characters and what happened to them。 I really liked tying in the story of what happened in the past between Lily and Thalia and how that plays out with the relationship between Willow and her mother。 And Mason's journey is heart-wrenching。If those are themes that you like in your books， I think you'll really like this one。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance ebook of this book for review。 。。。more
Liz Ferguson
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4/5 stars。 Super cute YA rom-com perfect for summer and/or Halloween。 A little insta-lovey （like many rom-coms） but nevertheless a good escape and a fun light read。
Kristi Housman Confessions of a YA Reader
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4 1/2 starsRTC for blog。Thank you to the publisher for sending me an arc for review。
Lloyd
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Witchcraft， complicated family histories， mystery， and romance in a Salem， MA setting？ Did Welch write this book for me specifically？ It was such a good YA read！ I’ve only read Love & Gelato， which gave me such wanderlust that I’m still dreaming of Gelato half a year later， and I’m happy to say I enjoyed this one just as much。 Although I didn’t get transported abroad reading this one like I did reading that， the setting of Spells for Lost Things is perfect。 I really loved how we got to follow tw Witchcraft， complicated family histories， mystery， and romance in a Salem， MA setting？ Did Welch write this book for me specifically？ It was such a good YA read！ I’ve only read Love & Gelato， which gave me such wanderlust that I’m still dreaming of Gelato half a year later， and I’m happy to say I enjoyed this one just as much。 Although I didn’t get transported abroad reading this one like I did reading that， the setting of Spells for Lost Things is perfect。 I really loved how we got to follow two POVs， Willow and Mason。 It’s the summer before senior year and both are dealing with difficult family issues， trying to find their place in this world， and general loneliness。 Both Mason and Willow’s story arcs centered around absent mothers; Mason’s is physically absent and Willow’s is emotionally distant。 The romance was a bit instalove-y for me but so on brand for a whirlwind teen romance。 I just found it so pure and sweet that I wasn’t all that bothered by it。 The mystery was fun and the letters from Sage were my favorite part。 The side characters were such a treat！ I really loved Mason’s foster family and Willow’s crazy aunties。 I’m a huge fan of the found family trope and Welch writes it so well。 Seeing the growth of every relationship was super heartwarming。 Overall， a cute， wholesome read that touches on heavy family issues with a satisfying conclusion。 Highly recommend to YA fans。 If you loved her other books， this will be a sure win for you。Favorite Quotes: “Every minute with you is magic。”“It turns out that home and belonging aren’t necessarily the same thing。”“We are chemically connected to all molecules on Earth。 And we are atomically connected to all atoms in the universe。 We are not figuratively， but literally stardust。”“I get hit with one of those waves like I do sometimes when I miss having a mom。 Not even my mom， just a mom。 What would it be like to have someone to always be there？”“Moonlight has a way of illuminating only the things you want to see， and she was happy to see forever in the moon’s waning light。” 。。。more
Christine
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Advanced Review Copy:I feel like Simon Cowell on America's Got Talent when he is just red-buzzering everyone that day。Set in Salem， I appreciated the ambiance in Spell for Lost Things - you feel like you are there surrounded by the cheesy tourist shops， history， and old houses in quaint neighborhoods。 However， the story seems stereotypical and surface-level - it's about "witches" but not the Salem witch trials， which seems like an odd aspect to leave out？！I rolled my eyes a lot， especially o Advanced Review Copy:I feel like Simon Cowell on America's Got Talent when he is just red-buzzering everyone that day。Set in Salem， I appreciated the ambiance in Spell for Lost Things - you feel like you are there surrounded by the cheesy tourist shops， history， and old houses in quaint neighborhoods。 However， the story seems stereotypical and surface-level - it's about "witches" but not the Salem witch trials， which seems like an odd aspect to leave out？！I rolled my eyes a lot， especially over the use of “aunties，" as well as when one auntie walks out naked before a witch ceremony。 The plot drags - I skimmed to the end - and I had no investment in the characters。 Simon and his story just seem to be on repeat。 Simon's new family and the portrayal of women/young girls are a bit over the top。 Young girls are more than chatter， make-up， and playing theater and dress-up。 I don't care for calling Willow "the mermaid" over and over again， even upon learning her name。 The way women are overall portrayed in this story is harmful and disappointing。The family curse made no sense for this plot （I'm confused， honestly）。 I've seen many reviews talking about this。Unlike Jenna's lighter books， Spells for Lost Things took on the foster care system， which was not adequately portrayed。 Honestly， from the moment I realized what she was writing about - witches， drug addiction， & the foster care system - I was worried。 It's cringe-worthy。 The cover is cute。。。 that's about it。I should note that I enjoyed Love & Gelato and loved Love & Olives。 This one was a huge disappointment。Thank you to Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers for a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review。Spells for Lost Things is set to publish on September 27， 2022。 。。。more
Rebecca Enslein
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Super cute！！ I love a good YA read and after reading Love & Gelato， I was excited to check this one out。 Setting the story in Salem made the fact that witches appear （charming， hilarious， occasionally naked witches！） less of a fantasy element and more of some local character。 The fact that both Mason and Willow are each grieving different parts of their relationship with their （living） moms gives them a little more depth than your usual YA character。 This is an enjoyable， easy read。 I really enj Super cute！！ I love a good YA read and after reading Love & Gelato， I was excited to check this one out。 Setting the story in Salem made the fact that witches appear （charming， hilarious， occasionally naked witches！） less of a fantasy element and more of some local character。 The fact that both Mason and Willow are each grieving different parts of their relationship with their （living） moms gives them a little more depth than your usual YA character。 This is an enjoyable， easy read。 I really enjoyed it！Thank you to #netgalley for this #arc of #spellsforlostthings 。。。more
Jacqueline Firkins
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A sweet， wistful story--or rather， 2 stories--about a pair of teens searching for belonging， who meet in the middle of their independent journeys and help each other fill the empty places they've been carrying for years。 Mason has been buffeted about by the foster care system， desperate to find the mother he has always considered his one and only anchor。 Willow is estranged from her divorced workaholic mother， desperate to find a sense of home and family she hasn't felt since childhood， before h A sweet， wistful story--or rather， 2 stories--about a pair of teens searching for belonging， who meet in the middle of their independent journeys and help each other fill the empty places they've been carrying for years。 Mason has been buffeted about by the foster care system， desperate to find the mother he has always considered his one and only anchor。 Willow is estranged from her divorced workaholic mother， desperate to find a sense of home and family she hasn't felt since childhood， before her parents' split。 When the two meet in the most unusual of places--the roof of a witch's house in Salem， Mass，--they begin a journey that will unlock Willow's past， and， perhaps， a new future for both of them。 The magic is subtly woven throughout the story， and each reader can interpret how much is "real" and how much is apocryphal。 The setting is delightful， a blend of gritty history and kitschy modern charm， with a hint of sparkle in every corner。 The romance is sweet and full of Big Feels， though readers will have to be patient as the pair has their first real conversation over halfway through the book， and Welch keeps the narrative emphasis on the individual journeys。 Though Willow's family of witches， and the hunt for her ancestors' history brought lots of smiles as I read， I loved the scenes with Mason's foster family most， and the various ways each member broke through his walls and showed him sincere care。 Sloths， stars， and all。 。。。more
Jenna
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Willow has never felt like she has a home。 Her parents are divorced。 Dad lives in Brooklyn and is remarried with triplets。 Her Mom， Mary moved to LA and started an event planning business。 Willow's plan is to graduate high school and travel。 Mason is a foster kid who has been trying to get back to him Mom。 His mom's best friend Emma & her husband Simon have signed up to be his foster parents。 Simon is a real estate agent。 Willow's mom explains one day that her sister died and they need to go to Willow has never felt like she has a home。 Her parents are divorced。 Dad lives in Brooklyn and is remarried with triplets。 Her Mom， Mary moved to LA and started an event planning business。 Willow's plan is to graduate high school and travel。 Mason is a foster kid who has been trying to get back to him Mom。 His mom's best friend Emma & her husband Simon have signed up to be his foster parents。 Simon is a real estate agent。 Willow's mom explains one day that her sister died and they need to go to Salem， Ma。 Her mother has this whole back story that Willow knows nothing about。 Her Aunt left a house to Mary。 Mary is determined to get out of Salem and sell the house。 Mason and Willow have a chance meetup at night on the rooftop。 Mason helps Willow discover and untangle her family's history。 This book is so good。 I loved the characters and the backstory of Willows family。 It definitely gave me Practical Magic vibes。 I loved it so much I had to read it in one day。 I could not put it down。 。。。more
Emmalynn Fillmore
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First off thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for Young Readers for giving me a digital arc of Spells for Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch*Expected release date is September 27th*I devoured this book。 I have read Love and Gelato and for the atmosphere alone， gave it five stars。 Spells for Lost Things was no different。 The subtle witchy atmosphere was fluffy and absolutely perfect。 I loved all the aunts along with all their names， you’ll understand if you read itThere was so much going First off thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for Young Readers for giving me a digital arc of Spells for Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch*Expected release date is September 27th*I devoured this book。 I have read Love and Gelato and for the atmosphere alone， gave it five stars。 Spells for Lost Things was no different。 The subtle witchy atmosphere was fluffy and absolutely perfect。 I loved all the aunts along with all their names， you’ll understand if you read itThere was so much going on in this book and it was never boring or lacking in depth。 I loved the characters， Willow and Mason， I thought their relationship in a romantic and friendship aspect was super sweet。 AND the dual pov is ADORABLE I love seeing the guy’s perspectiveI don’t want to give much away as I went into this book mostly blind and highly recommend you do the same。 This was a beautiful coming-of-age story focusing on relationships of all kinds and their struggles。 I recommend you read this beginning of October for a fluffy yet emotional witchy read。 This one took me by surprise in all the best ways5 starsFull blog post: https://theselyricsandlines。com/918/s。。。 。。。more
Ashley （books。uncharted）
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If you enjoyed any of Jenna Evans Welch's previous books， you're going to love Spells for Lost Things！In the same style as her other books， this book is lighthearted and all about discovery。 Willow's parents have recently gone through divorce and she is desperate to find some place that feels like home。 Mason is in the foster care system and is looking for family。 Like her other books， these characters are high school age。 I loved the witch vibes in this book。 I've read other books with witch vi If you enjoyed any of Jenna Evans Welch's previous books， you're going to love Spells for Lost Things！In the same style as her other books， this book is lighthearted and all about discovery。 Willow's parents have recently gone through divorce and she is desperate to find some place that feels like home。 Mason is in the foster care system and is looking for family。 Like her other books， these characters are high school age。 I loved the witch vibes in this book。 I've read other books with witch vibes that feel like dark magic written on the page。 These witch vibes are different。 For the couple times that spells are cast， they still feel lighthearted and fun。 Like wishing on the first star。 I loved the way the characters grew and the things they learned。 I loved the story of the curse and it's overarching lesson。 The story is set in Salem and was a fun setting for this book。 If you're looking for another Jenna Welch book， read this one。 A lighthearted read that leaves your heart feeling full？ This one is for you！ If you're looking for something with mild Halloween vibes， this one is perfect！ Rounding up to five stars！ 。。。more
Marina Teixeira
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When I saw the theme of this book， I was super excited to read it。 But having received an ARC directly from the author before release tripled that feeling。 I'm sure this will be another Jenna hit。 As in Amor e Lovros， the author transported me to the place where the story takes place。 Salem seems to be really full of magic and now I want to know it too。 With fluid and immersive writing， the author created captivating stories and complex characters， with well-explored traumas。 It's impossible not When I saw the theme of this book， I was super excited to read it。 But having received an ARC directly from the author before release tripled that feeling。 I'm sure this will be another Jenna hit。 As in Amor e Lovros， the author transported me to the place where the story takes place。 Salem seems to be really full of magic and now I want to know it too。 With fluid and immersive writing， the author created captivating stories and complex characters， with well-explored traumas。 It's impossible not to be moved by the trajectory of Mason and Willow， not to fall in love with the Morgans and the Bells and not love the magic in the pages。 The romance happens naturally and is super cute， the family relationships have great development and， in general， it was a very mature story。 It was amazing the way she built the layers of relationships between the characters and it was exciting to see the endings of each trajectory。 I cried a lot in this ending， especially with the Mason arc。 Finally， there are several amazing excerpts I wanted to quote， but only in September to update the review。 I'm sure everyone will love this magical book。 。。。more
The Cover Contessa
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I want to thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing me with an e-galley of this book to read and give my honest review。Let me start by saying I truly enjoyed the Love and Gelato series by Welch。 So when I was contacted to see if I might want to read this one， and it was about witchy things， I jumped at the chance。 And I am so glad I did。Not only does Welch create a setting where you feel right at home， but she weaves her story in a way that keep you turning the pages and not wanting t I want to thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing me with an e-galley of this book to read and give my honest review。Let me start by saying I truly enjoyed the Love and Gelato series by Welch。 So when I was contacted to see if I might want to read this one， and it was about witchy things， I jumped at the chance。 And I am so glad I did。Not only does Welch create a setting where you feel right at home， but she weaves her story in a way that keep you turning the pages and not wanting to put a book down。I love the two person point of view of this book。 Mostly because you know from the beginning the worlds are going to collide and the build up to get there is fun。 I easily connected with Willow and Mason。 Each with their own issues， each working to becoming the best person they can be。 Willow with her traveling bug and Mason with his need to keep a connection to his mother。 Both super important but in such different ways。 Willow wanting to escape while all Mason truly wanted was to be home。 The one thing about the witch part of this book is its connection to nature and the universe and how things happen because they are meant to happen。 It's not everyone casting spells and magic happening in the paranormal way。 It's those connections happening because the universe has set things to happen in a certain way。 It's why things collide。 And it works and makes my inner witchy heart happy！This book also made me want to visit Salem。 I've been there before （though many years ago） but it made me really want to go and see the history and feel that special connection I saw through Willow's eyes。 I just might do it！My only issue with this book was the rushed ending。。 Throughout the book， the pacing was on point。 But at the end， I felt like Mason's story was more rushed at the end than I would have liked。 I appreciated the way it was done but at the same time felt like the author may have been unsure of how to actually get where she wanted the story to go。Overall this was truly enjoyable and I would definitely love to read future books from this author as her story telling is fun and interesting。 。。。more
Sarah Salisbury
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There are two things that I love about Jenna Evans Welch novels: their travel theme， and the way they portray young people who find themselves longing for things。 Every one of her protagonists wants something desperately， but always something intangible， the kind of thing that makes a person's soul ache - and Willow and Mason are no exceptions。 Though I didn't absolutely love Spells For Lost Things the way I've loved some of her previous books （I felt like the magic aspect got a little hokey at There are two things that I love about Jenna Evans Welch novels: their travel theme， and the way they portray young people who find themselves longing for things。 Every one of her protagonists wants something desperately， but always something intangible， the kind of thing that makes a person's soul ache - and Willow and Mason are no exceptions。 Though I didn't absolutely love Spells For Lost Things the way I've loved some of her previous books （I felt like the magic aspect got a little hokey at times）， it did what her books do best: portraying the inner journeys of teenagers who don't know how to fill the holes in their hearts。 My heart hurt for both of them so many times throughout the story， and their final resolution was like a sigh of relief - I could overlook a lot for that。 It's an imperfect book， yes， but lovely， as Welch's books always are。 。。。more
Ms。 Yingling
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E ARC provided by Edelweiss PlusWillow has had a hard time since her parents divorced; when the family lived in Brooklyn， her parents spent time with her， but now her mother has moved them to California so she can run her swanky event planning business， and her father is busy with his new wife and triplets。 Willow loves spending time with her cousin Bea in France， and has a plan to spend her senior year there。 When her mother shoots that down， she is crushed， and also surprised that her mother s E ARC provided by Edelweiss PlusWillow has had a hard time since her parents divorced; when the family lived in Brooklyn， her parents spent time with her， but now her mother has moved them to California so she can run her swanky event planning business， and her father is busy with his new wife and triplets。 Willow loves spending time with her cousin Bea in France， and has a plan to spend her senior year there。 When her mother shoots that down， she is crushed， and also surprised that her mother seems so affected by the query。 A short time later， her mother receives news that her twin sister Sage has died and left her a house in Salem， Massachusetts。 Willow is gobsmacked-- her mother never even mentioned a twin， and has always claimed to be from Long Island。 The two take off to deal with the estate in Salem。 Also in that historic town is Mason， who has been brought there by his social worker after a long line of foster placements。 Mason's mother struggles with addiction， hasn't cared for him for eight years， and now can't be contacted。 He is being sent to live with his mother's best friend， Emma Morgan， who lives with her husband and four girls。 Mason， who has run away from foster homes because he really just wants to be with his mother， settles in reluctantly， and struggles with how much Emma reminds me of his mom， especially since she doesn't talk to him much。 He also struggles with the four girls， especially the youngest ones who like to put make up on him and rope him into elaborate plays。 Willow and Mason are connected through Sage's house; Mason's foster father is the real estate agent。 It's a spectacular house that Sage renovated， but Willow's mom wants nothing to do with it。 When the two both sneak into the house and run into each other， Mason leaves his notebook there， Willow picks it up， and Willow eventually determines that Mason would be helpful in solving the mysteries that are in letters that the aunt has left for her。 Matters are somewhat complicated by the fact that her mother's aunts are all self proclaimed witches who swear there is a family curse on all of the Bell women。 As Willow struggles with her mother's past and her deep desire to stay in the aunt's house， and Morgan struggles with fitting in to his new family and dealing with his feelings of his mother's abandonment， the two develop a supportive romantic relationship。 Strengths: Welch's Love and Gelato has been super popular with my students， and there's even a Netflix film version of it now。 （Along with one of Dessen's Along for the Ride！ How did I not know this？） This has all of the elements that I love to read; teens struggling with their parents， a light romance， a fun setting （now I sort of want to visit Salem！）， and interesting supportive characters。 Mason's story is definitely the more compelling one， and it's good to see him land with a supportive foster familyand eventually feel that this is a good placement。 It's a young adult book， so a bit on the longer side， but is completely a middle grade appropriate romance with shy looks and maybe a kiss。 I just enjoyed that they are friends but both have crushes on the other。 This is told from both of their viewpoints。 Weaknesses: Willow came across as very entitled at first and I had a hard time feeling sorry for her lack of "feeling at home" or being thwarted in her attempts to travel。 Young readers won't think so much about that。 I also couldn't get into the family mystery of the curse as much， but it was fine。 I found Mason's story much more interesting， so kept rushing to get back to his viewpoint。 What I really think: Definitely purchasing。 I love the cover， the Salem setting will help sell this， and I do still have some readers who really want high school romance books that are not。。。instructive。 Haven't seen a whole lot of those recently， so I'm glad to see this new title。 。。。more
Yolanda
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I requested this book because I loved the colors of the book cover and the title。 I love books about witches。 The name of the author seemed so familiar to me and of course it is， since she wrote the Love & Gelato series。 Here is what did and didn’t work for me:+ I love Willow and Mason。 The characters don’t meet until about 20% into the story but we get a good background of Willow and her need to travel， her feelings of being trapped with a mom who has pushed her away and a dad busy with his new I requested this book because I loved the colors of the book cover and the title。 I love books about witches。 The name of the author seemed so familiar to me and of course it is， since she wrote the Love & Gelato series。 Here is what did and didn’t work for me:+ I love Willow and Mason。 The characters don’t meet until about 20% into the story but we get a good background of Willow and her need to travel， her feelings of being trapped with a mom who has pushed her away and a dad busy with his new family。 Mason’s mom is a drug addict and he’s been in the foster care system for a long time but all he wants is to be with his mom again， but he can’t find her。 He moves to a new foster family but maybe this time it will be different or not。+ The story is set in Salem， Massachusetts and with their history of witches its the perfect setting。 Willow learns more of her mother’s secretive past there and meets Mason。 I love uncovering the Bell women’s past， including meeting Willow’s aunts who all dabble in a little witchcraft – they are so sweet and funny。 The restored house that is part of the secret history sounds absolutely magical。+ The romance is sweet and really beautiful。 I love how Willow and Mason meet， become friends and partners， but feel a magical bond between them。 They are still young and have a future wide open to them but I love how they start falling for one another even with their futures undecided。 I like the hope of the two of them together。+ I found myself tearing up at the end of this story mostly because of Mason’s story。 He’s had a tough time and all he wants is his mom。 He has to realize in the end that she might not be the best person to raise him and I can only imagine his pain and hurt。 It’s a surprisingly emotional story！ On the other hand， Willow has her own issues with her mom and it does get resolved in the end。 I’m just happy Willow found her family and home…same as Mason。~ Willow’s mom is a hard one to crack – she’s kept her past secret and it hurt Willow a lot。 Willow doesn’t know her mom like she thought and I was so frustrated with her mom because all Willow wants， is to be close to her mom。 It’s a sad situation。 This book was about romance and family， but definitely the bonds between a mom and her child which I can relate to。~ I thought Nova， one of Mason’s new sister was an interesting character who was there in the beginning but as Mason and Willow spent more time together， we heard less of her – but I’d love to know more about her！~ the characters don’t meet right away and I do wish they meet sooner。 We get a lot of background information on Willow and Mason in the first few chapters， but I do think some of that could have moved quicker to them meeting。Why you should read it:*it’s a heartfelt story with innocent romance， and tells a story about bonds between sisters， family， mom and child*it’s got a little bit of witchcraft， and mystery*Willow and Mason’s romance is the sweetest thing*Willow and Mason have their personal life challenges and I like that each had to deal with it in their own way， but they come out safe and loved in the endWhy you might not want to read it:*it’s not a book about witchcraft – there isn’t much of itMy Thoughts:This is such a heartwarming story， especially around the themes around family and moms。 Mason’s story brought tears to my eyes as he struggles with moving to a new foster home and trying to find his mom。 I love that he meets Willow in the process， a girl who is always dealing with trying to find a place that feels like home。 There isn’t much witchcraft in the story but I feel like whatever was tied to witches or witchcraft was used to help them hope for something better for both of them in their separate situations。 Lovely story and I look forward to reading more from this author。 。。。more
Mandy Purvis
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This book was an absolutely adorable， quick read。 It follows Willow， teenaged girl with severe wanderlust， through the fallout of her parents' divorce and a journey of discovering her family's secret past。 Her relationship with her mother is tenuous at best as they travel to Salem， Massachusetts to close out a relative's estate after their unexpected passing。 There， she meets Mason， who also offers his POV。 Mason is the child of an addict， who has fallen through the cracks of the foster care sys This book was an absolutely adorable， quick read。 It follows Willow， teenaged girl with severe wanderlust， through the fallout of her parents' divorce and a journey of discovering her family's secret past。 Her relationship with her mother is tenuous at best as they travel to Salem， Massachusetts to close out a relative's estate after their unexpected passing。 There， she meets Mason， who also offers his POV。 Mason is the child of an addict， who has fallen through the cracks of the foster care system， and grown up in less than ideal circumstance。 Fate brings Willow and Mason together， and they help each other to uncover the mysteries of their pasts。 The story was at times predictable， but overall a very enjoyable read that I wholeheartedly recommend！ 。。。more
Megan Oneail
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I loved this book from start to finish。 I have always enjoyed Welch's books， but this added in a bit of magic that just elevated it even more for me。 The witchy parts of me loved the setting （Salem， MA）， the coven of awesome old ladies （um， kitchen witch who just instinctually makes your favorite food？ Yes please！）， and a general inclusivity of the magical lifestyle that I really appreciated。 I really enjoyed Willow， our female MC， and how she just fully embraced the vibe and the lore of her her I loved this book from start to finish。 I have always enjoyed Welch's books， but this added in a bit of magic that just elevated it even more for me。 The witchy parts of me loved the setting （Salem， MA）， the coven of awesome old ladies （um， kitchen witch who just instinctually makes your favorite food？ Yes please！）， and a general inclusivity of the magical lifestyle that I really appreciated。 I really enjoyed Willow， our female MC， and how she just fully embraced the vibe and the lore of her heritage。 Mason was the cinnamon roll that you just want to protect at all costs。 I loved the dynamic between Mason and Willow， and their instant bond that wasn't just a physical attraction thing。 I made the mistake of starting this book before bed and stayed up until the wee sma's to finish it。 I may have been exhausted for work the next day， but it was totally worth it。 I laughed， I cried， I was surprised， and I was utterly enchanted。 。。。more
maddy
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loved it。 beautiful characters and great pacing。 and the side characters （the aunties！ the morgan girls！）！ only irk is that i wish there’d been more of willow and mason together; before they met， i felt like i was reading/racing TO their meeting， and i really liked their interactions once they HAD met， but at that point i was ripping through the story because it was just so damn good。 i could barely put it down - i wanted more plot， i wanted to see where willow’s family’s story went， and i wante loved it。 beautiful characters and great pacing。 and the side characters （the aunties！ the morgan girls！）！ only irk is that i wish there’d been more of willow and mason together; before they met， i felt like i was reading/racing TO their meeting， and i really liked their interactions once they HAD met， but at that point i was ripping through the story because it was just so damn good。 i could barely put it down - i wanted more plot， i wanted to see where willow’s family’s story went， and i wanted more willow + mason！ i held back tears through the final couple of chapters。 overall lovely。#netgalley 。。。more
Lindsay
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The beginning was a little rough to get over since the first few chapters were massive info dumps alternating between Willow and Mason。 Once you get past that， the story actually begins and we meet Willow and Mason before they are introduced to one another。 The summary is a bit misleading since Mason and Willow don't team up to help solve the clues of her family's past until well over the halfway point。 I was disappointed that family curse plot along with witchcraft didn't take up much of the st The beginning was a little rough to get over since the first few chapters were massive info dumps alternating between Willow and Mason。 Once you get past that， the story actually begins and we meet Willow and Mason before they are introduced to one another。 The summary is a bit misleading since Mason and Willow don't team up to help solve the clues of her family's past until well over the halfway point。 I was disappointed that family curse plot along with witchcraft didn't take up much of the story， but I also liked reading from Willow and especially Mason's point of views。 Mason's story was much more impactful than Willow's so I enjoyed his portion more。 Thank you Edelweiss for an ARC。 。。。more
Madeline
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This read was nothing short of magical 💜 Dare I say it’s my favorite Jenna Evans Welch book yet？ I DO DARE （and you know that’s saying something considering how much I love the Love & series）。Here’s a list of what I loved about it:🧙🏻♀️ that it was set in Salem， MA （and its general witchiness）💐 all of the characters （esp the aunties and the little girls）🌟 the romance plot line💌 the treasure hunt vibes🕯 the themes of love and sisterhood and lossThis book comes out in late September， which is amaz This read was nothing short of magical 💜 Dare I say it’s my favorite Jenna Evans Welch book yet？ I DO DARE （and you know that’s saying something considering how much I love the Love & series）。Here’s a list of what I loved about it:🧙🏻♀️ that it was set in Salem， MA （and its general witchiness）💐 all of the characters （esp the aunties and the little girls）🌟 the romance plot line💌 the treasure hunt vibes🕯 the themes of love and sisterhood and lossThis book comes out in late September， which is amazing timing bc it’s a perfect October YA read。 Seriously: run， don’t walk， to get it 🏃♀️ps I’ve always thought how cool it would be to receive an ARC and now I actually have one！ AND ITS SIGNED？？ AND FOR A BOOK I ABSOLUTELY LOVED？！ YOU’RE JOKING。 I literally screamed when I saw I’d won it and again when it came in the mail three days ago。 。。。more
Novel Notices
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。For anyone wanting a condensed version of the review or a guide to the content （violence， language， sexual content） in this book， check here: https://www。novelnotices。com/spells-f。。。Spells for Lost Things follows Willow and Mason， two teens struggling to find their place in their lives， as they search for information on Willow's family curse and Mason searches for his mothe Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。For anyone wanting a condensed version of the review or a guide to the content （violence， language， sexual content） in this book， check here: https://www。novelnotices。com/spells-f。。。Spells for Lost Things follows Willow and Mason， two teens struggling to find their place in their lives， as they search for information on Willow's family curse and Mason searches for his mother。 And of course， they end up falling for each other too。Coming into this book， I was so excited。 I wanted to love it will all my heart， especially after enjoying Love & Gelato and Love & Olives so much。 But the more I read， I just—couldn't。 There was nothing special or endearing about Willow and Mason。 I felt bad for them at times， but I just couldn't really get myself to care for them。 I understand that each of them are going through things far harder than I ever have， but that did nothing to make me like them。 I had HUGE issues with the pacing of the romance too。 I was 50% into the book when they started talking to each other， and their relationship was so insta-lovey。 I was really upset because Jenna Evans Welch had always written solid romances before。 Without any spoilers， the curse didn't make much sense to me and all the reveals were very anti-climatic。 I also didn't understand the witchcraft going on in the book。 Not only did I internally groan every time the witch-aunts came into the scene （and whenever they were referred to as the aunties every other page）， but I didn't understand them。 Welch might have been going for a more loose， interpret-this-how-you-will conclusion with their magic， but it didn't feel like that to me。 Instead， it felt like Welch wanted to break away from her normal realistic fiction， but just couldn't。 Because I read an ARC （thanks， Netgalley！）， there were multiple grammar and formatting errors that made it a bit confusing to read， but other than the writing was fine， the style similar to that of her other works。Another thing I also wasn't a fan of was the huge info-dumps that the author dropped on you in the first few chapters。 I found it extremely annoying that Welch didn't trust us to read into all the other hints and clues she dropped in the book to flesh out the story of Mason and Willow's lives。 Besides that， the pacing was all off and the romance completely rushed （along with the other relationships in the book）。 It did get better near the end， but not enough to redeem the beginning in my mind， so I rounded 2。5 down to 2。 I could go on， but I don't want to dissect it much more。 As a last side note， I would also like to point out for anyone curious that this book has nothing to do with the Salem Witch Trials。 I was interested to see if Welch would tie it in because she chose that specific setting， but in the end she didn't。I'll give any more books Jenna Evans Welch writes a try， but this just was not it for me。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Spells for Lost Things
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Spells for Lost Things&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft