Brewed with Love

Gr 7 Up–Sage Bishop cannot believe that her grandmother hired her traitorous ex-best-friend, Ximena Reyes, to work at their family’s local apothecary. Ximena isn’t even a witch. So, it’s not surprising to Sage that on their first day working together, disaster strikes, and not only is the apothecary robbed, but someone has also stolen Sage’s “misbrewed” heartache tonic. With the threat of the family’s business being shut down, Sage agrees to put aside her animosity with Ximena and work together to figure out who is responsible for the theft. Readers will enjoy how debut author Page handles Ximena and Sage’s relationship, keeping their love for each other in focus even when they are arguing and can’t seem to find common ground. This title has a cozy atmosphere, and the whodunit mystery, while a bit predictable, will keep readers engaged as they follow the clues to find out exactly how events played out. The worldbuilding and magic system are a perfect match to the cozy magical realism of the small tourist town of Blackclaw, and the side characters add a lot of charm to the setting.