A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford Book Review
Today, we are diving into the book of the moment, A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford. It releases on October 21, 2025. It’s a very cute, cozy fantasy with some magic, found family, and a little bit of romance. Though romance is listed as a genre, I don’t consider this a romance book, and I’ll explain why later.
Summary:
Howl’s Moving Castle meets Little Thieves in this cozy fantasy about the teenage owner of a mostly fake magical curiosity shop and a girl cursed to turn everything she touches into magic.
Everyone in Ardmore knows that Willow Stokes is a charlatan, including Willow herself. Her father’s shop hasn’t sold anything magical in decades and is barely surviving by selling fake charms—dragon’s teeth, enchanted ostrich eggs, and talismans made of fool’s gold.
Everything changes when Brianna Hargrave appears and turns Willow’s fakes into real magical objects. But Brianna wants nothing to do with Willow’s curiosities because she’s harboring a secret—everything she touches turns to magic, and the consequences have chased her all the way to Ardmore. She’s searching for a missing grimoire that can break her curse.
Desperate to save her father’s shop, Willow proposes a bargain that could help them both. Together with the printer’s assistant Finley, the girls uncover a deeper plot. When Willow is drawn into a dangerous collector’s quest for a rare magical object, she learns that not all treasure is for sale and that true magic is closer than she imagined.
The listed genres include fantasy and romance, but I would categorize it as cozy fantasy or witchy fiction. The romance is minimal and extremely slow-burn—barely present until the end.
The book is about 368 pages, and I listened to the audiobook, which was adorable and well done. One of the most memorable magical creatures was the Walpertinger, a mythical hybrid with rabbit features, antlers, small teeth, and pheasant wings. In German folklore, Walpertingers are said to inhabit the Bavarian forests. I almost feel like this story was inspired by someone encountering a taxidermy Walpertinger and imagining its backstory.
Characters:
Willow’s father passed about a year ago, leaving her struggling to keep his shop alive. One day, the dormant Walpertinger in her shop warns her to beware of a girl in a red cloak. Soon after, Brianna walks in wearing an oxblood cloak. Things begin to change around her as her touch activates dormant magical items.
Willow convinces Bri to help her revive the shop. They discover that the magic Bri creates only lasts about 24 hours—just enough to sell curiosities like a lantern that attracts light sprites or a rug that straightens furniture. The whimsical details are charming and full of cozy magical nonsense.
With Bri’s help, the shop starts to thrive again. Finley, the printer’s assistant, is endlessly kind and patient with Willow, even when she is sharp-tongued and defensive. He’s gentle, steady, and clearly devoted to her despite her stubbornness. Willow struggles with trust, trauma, and fear of abandonment after her father’s death, leading to poor decisions and lies meant to protect herself or others.
Bri, meanwhile, has been exiled from her family. Cursed before birth due to her father’s rivalry with another architect, she became the target of her father’s resentment. Her journey from isolation to belonging is beautifully portrayed, as noted by reviewer Nilüfer Özmekik, who described Bri as a “poignant metaphor for the burdens we carry.”
Both girls find second chances and friendship with each other and Finley. At its core, this story is a love letter to second chances—for Willow to rebuild her life, for Bri to break free from her curse, and for both to find belonging. Finley serves as the grounding force between them, pure-hearted and without ulterior motives.
Final Thoughts:
I found this book absolutely charming, well worth the read and the listen. I don’t understand why its Goodreads rating is just under four stars. Some readers found it slow or too mild, but I think that’s part of its cozy appeal.
It’s a gentle, low-stakes fantasy filled with warmth, friendship, and quiet magic. I highly recommend it.
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