An Ancient Witch’s Guide to Modern Dating (Cecilia Edward, Atria Australia)

Cecilia Edward – children’s author Remy Lai (Ghost Book) writing under a pen name – makes her adult fiction debut with An Ancient Witch’s Guide to Modern Dating, a sweet but shallow cosy fantasy romance with time travel elements. Thorn Scarhart lives alone in a cabin in the woods, where she makes potions and spells for the nearby townsfolk who both need and distrust her. One day, she realises that life has passed her by while her head has been in her cauldron. Not wanting to miss out on love and marriage, Thorn enlists the local matchmaker to find her a husband. Things aren’t going well until she stumbles into the woods and unexpectedly lands in the 21st century. There, she learns that her house is now a historical site in the middle of a large park, and that courtship has undergone some significant changes. Using classic fish-out-of-water hallmarks, An Ancient Witch’s Guide to Modern Dating relies primarily on Thorn’s misunderstandings of contemporary culture for its humour, including online dating apps, employment and fashion. An ongoing theme is modern attitudes towards sex, though the spice level of the book remains at a kisses-only level. Thorn is an enjoyable character to follow through to her clearly signposted happy ending, but the humour overshadows opportunities for deeper exploration of the characters and their stories. A light, simple choice for cat-lovers and readers who enjoyed Erin Sterling’s The Ex Hex. 

Books+Publishing reviewer: Kate Cuthbert is the publishing director at Books+Publishing. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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