Aaliyah's Book Corner

Autumn may be over, but the spooky season is a perpetual thing in my house. I thrive on those delightful seasonal scents and surround myself in foliage decor. Oh and of course I love witchy things too. It should be no surprise that I found myself reaching for a book that follows an almost 26-year-old witch desperate to break her curse by doing the impossible: finding her true love. Spellbound In The Stacks is a laugh-out-loud story crafted by the always entertaining K. Iwancio, who manages to make Faelene one of the most relatable FMCs ever and Aidan is a swoon-worthy MMC.

Plot

Faelene is a witch who loves some of the perks that come with her heritage. She can flick her fingers to make the cleaning supplies tidy up the charming bookstore that she owns. She can use magic to get through her TBR with a book reading spell (I’m lowkey jealous of this one). The major downside to her magic? She is doomed to transfigure into a cat permanently if she doesn’t find her true love before her 26th birthday, thirteen years after her first transformation.

Faelene subjects herself to dating apps and deplorable men before accepting that she may never find her perfect match. Cue the chaos as Faelene bemoans and banters with her bestie Eric; their banter had me in stitches. Eric represents the hopeful side while Faelene’s icy mother, Hera, is a thorn in her side, constantly snooping and inserting herself into the tense situation. Everything takes a turn for the better when longtime customer Aidan Kennedy visits the bookstore and finally engages in a longer conversation than normal.

There’s a situation where cat Faelene is scooped up by Aidan during one of his shifts as a firefighter and she concocts a brilliant scheme. But as she continues on with the scheme and goes on a date, the floodgates open and a passionate romance ensues. Faelene faces the dilemma of truly knowing if her gorgeous customer is truly her soulmate or if she’s doomed to the life of a cat forever.

Tropes

– Friends to Lovers: Faelene and Aidan skirted around each other for two years before a fateful day a couple weeks before Faelene’s 26th birthday. Besides being massive readers, they learn more about each other and encourage each other to truly let their nerdy sides come out. The spicy scenes between Aidan and Faelene were spice-tastic. The chemistry was on point and seeing Aidan shift from the shy, nerdy firefighter to the foulmouthed seducer was insanely hot (Faelene would agree). Friends to lovers done correctly.

– Paranormal Romance: Faelene is a witch and can transform into a cat at will. Aidan is a mortal who has no idea that witches or other mythical beings exist. In the end, love prevails. All I can say without spoiling everything.

– Dual POV: I’m usually 50/50 on multiple POVs because some characters don’t need one but holy hell, I loved reading from both Faelene’s and Aidan’s perspectives. Faelene is a sassy FMC who can banter like no one’s business and her hilarious sayings have you laughing out loud. Aidan’s more shy demeanor lends to cute chapters that have you sighing. Excellent use of POVs in this book.

Characters

Faelene is one of my favorite FMCs that I’ve read about this year. Her sass and banter with the other characters is top notch. The angsty moments when she despairs over the curse are heart wrenching, as are the scenes when she and her mother have quick fond moments that are wiped away with a scathing word (usually from Hera). Faelene is strong enough to accept her fate but still clings onto hope that she’ll find her soulmate, something that I could relate to.

Aidan is one of those MMCs that captures your heart from the start. He made weekly trips to Ink and Parchment (Faelene’s shop) not only for book recs but to see his crush. For being a nerd and a super fan of Star Wars, Aidan certainly knew how to bring the heat and passion once he and Faelene found their stride.

Eric is the best friend that every gal should have. He and Faelene are best friends from high school and though he was lucky enough to find his perfect man, he holds out that Faelene will find her ideal lover too. I loved Eric’s quips about Faelene being a cat but also how he truly cares for her. When he and his husband pledge to care for Faelene if/when she changed permanently, I got a little teary eyed. It was a sweet moment, mmkay?

Hera is Faelene’s mom and an ice queen of sorts. You can sort of understand why she behaves the way she does (feeling broken after losing her husband, cursed daughter, etc) but the way she chastises and condescends to Faelene irritated the crap out of me. I grew up with an aunt similar to Hera and I wanted to reach through my Kindle and slap the memorized spells out of her… Too much? 

Mood/Aesthetic Board

I was so immersed in the story that I visualized the characters and setting easily. I ended making this board and I think it captures the book pretty well.

Favorite Moments

1. Aidan rescuing Faelene in her cat form
2. Their first “encounter” (*wink*)
3. The Fire Ball (and shopping trip with Eric prior)

Favorite Quotes

“There’s someone out there for you. Even if there isn’t, you know I’d adopt you. I’d get you the best litterbox there is” (Eric) “Oh fuck you. You know I’m toilet trained” (Faelene)

“By the beard of Zeus, he was fucking gorgeous”- Faelene

“The counter looks like a great place… To claim you as mine”- Aidan

Take a trip to Thistleton yourself with a copy of Spellbound in the Stacks. This is only the first book in the series (two more to go!) and you won’t be disappointed. This book was the lighthearted read I needed after a long week, and I can’t wait to read more of K. Iwancio’s books.

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