ARC Review: Disenchanted (Rewitched #3) by Lucy Jane Wood

 

Sage Hemlock has no interest in embracing her witchy side. Magic has betrayed her before, bringing nothing but heartache, and she will not let something so foolish happen again.

Instead, Sage has thrown herself into her work and studies, running the local museum and largely preferring the company of her library and her cat to other humans. Her one goal is to fly under the coven's radar so that she can finally shed her blasted powers forever.

But when a strange historical book accidentally triggers a curse, Sage's quiet, small-town life is suddenly overrun and magic is running rife. A beanstalk grows in her garden, and her friend and co-worker Casimir starts to look an awful lot like a handsome prince. Fairytales are coming true . . .

Now, with the threat of the coven on her tail, Sage must confront the magic she’s always denied to solve the mysteries of the book and save everyone she’s come to love from being lost to a fairy tale forever. The question is, can she finally learn to be her own happily ever after?

Title: Disenchanted (Rewitched #3)

Author: Lucy Jane Wood

Publisher:

Expected Publication Date: September 8, 2026

Review:

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

I've really enjoyed the previous books in this series. Each has been unique and fun with a hint of overlap in characters and themes. This one was more out of the ball park. Very separate from the others until the very end when it's all tied together. I have to admit, it started out slow for me. I wasn't sure where it was going or if I would like it, and that upset me a bit. But then suddenly at about the 25% mark it took off and I didn't want to put it down.

Sage Hemlock wants nothing to do with her magic ever since her parents died. She believes it was her magic's fault and she would do anything to be rid of it. In the mean time, she runs a small witch museum in her small home town with her enemy turned best friend, Casimir. She has always been obsessed with Lilimar, the witch who rid herself of magic believing it was a curse. When she falls upon Lilimar's grimoire, suddenly the town begins to morph and change before her eyes, living out fairytales long since told to children and adults alike. But when the fairytale magic begins to take away the town she knows, she needs to find a way to get it back and rid herself of magic for good.

Sage was a great character. You could feel her heartache as she tries so hard not to use her magic. Her life is very emotional. But while she struggles to see her magic as anything good, others see it for the potential it has. She's kept herself under the radar, far away from where the coven might be able to find her. She loves her family and would do anything to keep her brother and sister safe. I really wanted to give Sage a little shove throughout this book. She couldn't truly see the forest for the trees. No matter how many times people told her the death of her parents was not her fault (though you could eventually see why she thought this), she would not listen. She held tight to keeping herself locked in a box, not allowing anyone in, not allowing herself to be happy.

Casimere is a fun character. I loved his interactions with Sage. Right away you could tell they had some chemistry, even as best friends. Their banter was really fun. And I loved his character in the fairytale story. 

The side characters were, as usual with Wood, fantastic. They all leant so much to the story. The house witch Maggie, who plays so much of a bigger role towards the end of the book that I was not expecting. Sages brother, Rob, and her sister, Laurel, who love Sage with all their hearts and just want her to be happy. And Mal, Sage's familiar (definitely one of my most favorite characters in this story).Plus all the side town folk who run the stores or have interactions with Sage throughout the book. Every character was unique and well developed.

The story line was probably my favorite of all the books so far. I loved the hints of all the fairytales I grew up loving. I also appreciated Wood diving into the darker parts of these stories and demonstrating the moral dilemmas the characters of those stories face and what lessons the reader was taught.

I also appreciated to overall theme of self-acceptance. While there is some romance in this story, it really is about seeing who you are and seeing how your life has shaped you. While this is slated as a cozy fantasy, the romance definitely is a slow burn that takes a back seat to Sage figuring out who she is to herself and to her being able to share that with others.

I see potential for future books as Wood really pulled this story together with the others at the end. This series is perfect for anyone looking to read some coziness during the fall/Halloween/witchy season!

Author:

I found myself falling into the world of writing almost by accident. My blogging friends at university were applying for swanky magazine internships, and I decided I should probably do something useful like that for myself. It was an obvious decision that almost made itself on my behalf, because writing is just who I am, and reading has always just been what I do.

Since happily stumbling my way into my first paid writing position for teen website Sugarscape back in 2013, I've been lucky and thrilled to find myself working freelance for giant titles like Marie Claire US, Cosmopolitan UK, MTV and Metro amongst others.

I am currently attempting to write my first fiction book. Wish me luck! I'm going slowly insane with it, and I am reassuringly told that's a good sign.