Life’s a Witch by Amelia Ash and Kim M. Watt
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Life’s a Witch in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Gist
It’s 2025, yet Amelia Ash and Kim M. Watt still hand readers a heroine who feels obligated to mop up every man’s mess. Grown men toss their emotional garbage at her feet, and—surprise—she shoulders the blame. I kept waiting for one of these dudes to pick up a broom or, better yet, grow a conscience. No such luck.
The Details
Our protagonist flees her hometown to start fresh. Great plan—until three separate books yank her backwards because the men in her orbit can’t handle their own consequences. They pout, they ghost, they scheme, and somehow it’s on her to fix everything. Why should I care about these deadbeat satellites when the series title says she should be the sun?
Worse, the narrative keeps rewarding their behavior. The plot stalls so each guy can air his grievances, and the heroine dutifully soothes them. I’d call it character development, but that implies forward motion. Instead, we circle the same swamp of male fragility chapter after chapter. Meanwhile our witch—talented, smart, ready for a new life—shrinks so they can shine. Spoiler: they never do.
Some sparkle exists. The magic system feels cozy, the small-town setting oozes autumn charm, and the dialogue has pep when the men aren’t whining. A few side characters—women who actually support one another—breathe life into the gloom. Those moments kept me turning pages even while I rolled my eyes.
- Pros: warm setting, snappy banter, flashes of sisterhood.
- Cons: heroine’s agency kneecapped, plot hijacked by man-sized pity parties, third installment still spinning the same wheel.
The Verdict
Bottom line: Life’s a Witch mixes potential with a hefty dose of frustration. If I wanted to watch capable women rescue irresponsible men for the zillionth time, I’d scroll social media. I came for witchcraft and growth; I got a rerun of the “girls fix everything” trope. Two stars for the atmosphere—the rest evaporated faster than cheap potion smoke.
