Book Review: The Magic We Made by Meg Cabot

GOODREADS SUMMARY

Frankie

A trained therapist, Francesca Giovanni knows there’s a scientific explanation for everything. Unfortunately, she lives in West Harbor, CT, a town that’s recently exploded in popularity thanks to “witch tourism.” Suddenly, witches are everywhere, offering locals their psychic services. Frankie’s fine with this…until aspiring teenage witches begin to disappear, and strange things start happening in the lake house next door. Frankie begins to suspect not all newcomers to West Harbor have the good of the community in mind—especially not her new neighbor, Ash Merit.

Ash

Ash Merit finds lost things—and people—for a living. All he wants is to help his clients, and maybe get to know the stunningly beautiful (and newly single) Dr. Frankie Giovanni a little better. But thanks to some troublesome young witches—not to mention his often faulty psychic “superpower”—everything goes wrong. If only Frankie wasn’t so distractingly attractive…and so unwilling to admit there might not be a logical reason for everything, including the flames that ignite whenever the two of them kiss. Ash hopes to change that, but first he and Frankie have to find the missing girls, as well as the truth about what’s happening in West Harbor…a truth that could change everything they thought they knew about themselves—and the magic of love.

CORLEY'S THOUGHTS

Mag Cabot’s The Magic We Made is a wild, enchanting ride that effortlessly blends high-stakes magic with swoon-worthy romance. Although it is a standalone entry in the Witches of West Harbor series, the world-building is so compelling that it instantly leaves you craving more.

The story centers on Franchesca—or Frankie, as she prefers—a wonderfully relatable protagonist who just wants a peaceful existence in her lake house. Unfortunately for her, that peace is interrupted when Ash buys the property next door. The timing couldn't be worse; as summer wraps up, West Harbor has become the ominous site of several disappearances, and Ash has been sent specifically to track down one of the missing girls.

What follows is a delightful "neighbor romance" that evolves into something much deeper. The chemistry is undeniable, even when the obstacles are absurdly supernatural. Between Ash being the grandson of an ancient deity, the summoning of an Underworld goddess, and the disbanding of a cult, the plot is anything but typical. Yet, at its heart, it remains a grounding story about connection.

I had trouble putting this book down, largely due to the fantastic character dynamics. Ash’s lighthearted humor is the perfect foil for the heavy demi-god situations he faces, while Frankie’s down-to-earth perspective anchors the story in reality. This is a quirky, memorable tale that has me immediately reaching for book one and the rest of the series.

** THE MAGIC WE MADE IS EXPECTED TO HIT SHELVES AUGUST 11, 2026. 

** THANK YOU NETGALLEY AND AVON AND HARPER VOYAGER FOR THE EARLY READ