ARC Review: Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett

 

When a magical hotel appears smack-dab in the middle of the most unmagical of worlds, the last thing the residents expect is to fall in love.

Manager of the Number Five Wayside Inn and World Travel Hub, Pax Nomen has one of the easiest jobs in all the known universes, unless you count the occasional plumbing disaster. When Number Five Wayside gets stranded on a non-magical world, even Pax's trusty Wayside Handbook can’t help him. How is he going to “reboot” the hotel and keep it on its magical journey?

Josie LaChusia is a single mom experiencing debt, having parenting doubts, and tipping dangerously toward depression when an ad pops up on her phone that an apartment is available in a building she’s never seen before.

Pax needs a new guest to restart his hotel, and Josie needs a nudge to restart her life. In a building occupied by faeries, gargoyles, and a gnome with a bad attitude, two souls from very different places come together to create a home like no other.

Title: Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel

Author: Elizabeth Everett

Publisher: Ace

Publication Date: March 10, 2026

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I will be honest and say I didn't know what I was jumping into when I opened this one to read. I certainly didn't know it would suck me in. I certainly didn't know I would not want to put it down. I certainly didn't know it would wrap me in a warm hug and make me feel all kinds of gooey inside.

I was drawn to the book because the cover is absolutely gorgeous. It's whimsical and the colors are so soothing. Then I read the blurb and just know I had to give it a try. I've not read anything from this author before. Often times I am skeptical of starting new authors. I'm worried I will not like their voice or they will disappoint me when I have such high expectations for the book. Neither of those things happened. I adored Everett's writing. It flowed so well and really kept me attached to the story and characters.

There are so many great characters in this book. Yes, we have the MMC, Pax, and FMC, Josie who narrate the story for us. Their voices are each unique. And Everett easily made me fall in love with them and their stories. But the secondary characters in this book helped to really steal the show.  Each has such a distinct personality and lend a great deal to the scenes in which they appear. I love when an author can include so many characters who give the story more depth.

I truly enjoyed how Everett progressed the romance in this book. It was sweet and tender. I will say I was shocked at some of the verbiage she used. While I saw the slightly spicy scenes coming, the verbiage used during these sexy times sometimes threw me out of the story.

This book is full of so much magic. Fans of TJ Klune are going to love what Everett delivers with this story. It's not quite magical realism, really more fantasy, but it has many elements of speculative fiction or magical realism and it made my heart so happy. I love a good cozy fantasy.

THE PLOT! Hands down this was my favorite part of this book. I love the idea of a sentient structure that reacts to those inside of it. Yes, it sounds a little creepy, but if you've watch The Umbrealla Academy (which I LOVE), you'll totally get the vibe of this book. 

Everett delivers a magical story with a unique plot, excellent world building, and a warm and tender romance. Fans of T.J. Lune, Rebecca Serle, and Meg Shaffer will fall head over heels for this cozy story full of found family and so much love!

Author:

Elizabeth Everett is a USA Today Bestselling author of historical romance and lives in upstate New York. Her work is inspired by her admiration for rule breakers and belief in the power of love to change the world.

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