ARC Review: Spellbound by Murder by Stacie Ramey

Spellbound by Murder
Author: Stacie Ramey
Series: A Mystic Hollow Bookshop Mystery
Publication: Crooked Lane (March 10, 2026)

Description: Gilmore Girls meets Charmed in this spellbinding cozy mystery featuring a magical bookshop run by three generations of women.

When her grandmother suffers a nasty fall and asks for help managing the family business, coffee-addicted single mother Veronica Blackthorne moves her sixteen-year-old rom-com-obsessed daughter to Mystic Hollow, Connecticut. Veronica is ecstatic to return to New England, but when she arrives, she quickly finds out that Mystic Hollow Books, her grandmother’s pride and joy, needs more than a little TLC.

Hoping to save the bookstore from a big-box rival, Veronica enlists her sometimes mentor and sometimes crush, Adam Whitford, a controversial but popular author, as the keynote speaker to kick off a literary festival that will hopefully bring in a new wave of customers. But when Adam turns up dead, all that romantic potential turns into a nightmare as Veronica becomes the prime suspect in his murder.

As the local sheriff investigates his murder, Veronica decides to take matters into her own hands to solve the case and clear her name. With the bookstore’s future on the line, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Until her gran reveals the biggest secret of all—the bookstore is magical, and it was a botched love spell that led to this entire mess.

Witty and heartfelt, this mystery explores the price of magic and how it might be more hefty than one can hope, perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Nina Simon.

My Thoughts: Veronica Blackthorne comes back to Mystic Hollow, Connecticut, with her sixteen-year-old daughter Phoebe when she gets a call that her grandmother has fallen and needs help running her bookstore. The call is timely since her daughter was in an incident at her school and has been suspended and because a hurricane is bearing down on their home in Florida.

She arrives in time to help organize a book festival which will provide needed cash for the town and save the failing bookstore. When the keynote backs out, Veronica calls on an author she's met at conventions and writing workshops since she is an aspiring author.

Adam Whitford is a controversial but popular author. When he is murdered, Veronica needs to solve the crime since she's a prime suspect. She enlists her mother, daughter and daughter's new friend to be part of her Scooby gang to solve the crime. 

There is magic in the story. The bookstore is magical and her grandmother is part of a secret coven. There are magical springs and a Lady of the Forest who helps. And Veronica needs the help. She has ADHD which often makes it difficult for her. But she's also bright and, with a little magical assist, is able to figure out the proper villains. 

This was a fun story. I enjoyed the interactions between mother and child. Veronica and Phoebe have a great relationship. I also liked the magic and the setting for the story. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.