If I had to describe this book in four words, I would say it is quiet, sweet, uplifting, and funny. At the beginning of the book, Sera Swan is a teenager with a promising amount of magical powers. She helps her great-aunt Jasmine run an enchanted Inn in Lancashire. But when Jasmine dies unexpectedly out in the garden, Sera desperately resurrects her with a forbidden spell--accidentally bringing back the skeletal remains of a long-dead rooster at the same time.
The resurrection spell Sera used sapped her of most of her magical powers. To make matters worse, Sera was kicked out of the witch's guild for breaking their magic rules. Fast-forward fifteen years, and Sera is now thirty years old. She and her aunt are struggling to keep the Inn from falling apart with the little dribble of magic Sera has left. She is desperate to find a way to get her magic back, but she can get no help from the Guild.
The Inn and its inhabitants gave me a strong Gilmore Girls vibe. The Inn is full of quirky characters who have found a home and support each other. These include a young man who dresses as a knight and Sera's young cousin--whose parents don't have much interest in him. In addition to the undead rooster, there is a sly fox--an old witch who was turned into a fox when one of her spells backfired. Sera has an old spell that protects the Inn from people with bad intentions, but lets those in need come straight to her.
One day, Luke Larsen and his young sister, Posy, show up at the Inn. Posy has proven a challenge to their parents because she is both magical and autistic. She doesn't care to hide her magic, and her parents have sloughed her off onto Luke. Luke is a magical witch and historian, and he has some of the knowledge Sera needs to get her magic back. Luke is also good looking and so relieved to find a place that values Posy for who she is.
The antagonist in this book is a power-hungry older witch (wizard?) who has great influence in the Guild. He is the one who was behind Sera getting kicked out of the Guild, and he truly becomes evil as the story continues. He also comes from an old, established witch family and is very snobby about Sera's Indian heritage and her lack of connections.
Sera and Luke begin a quiet romance as they help each other. The book ends with the strong message that being yourself and caring about the people you love is more important than anything else. I found this book sweet and memorable. My only complaint, if any, was that I listened to this book on Audiobook, and I found it easy for my attention to drift off as I listened. However, on the whole, I enjoyed this book, and I loved what it stood for.
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