Out Now from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 352 pages
About the Author: “Crystal Cestari lives just outside Chicago with her daughter. Her hobbies include avoiding broccoli and wandering the aisles at Target. She holds a master’s degree in mass communication and writes all her stories in longhand. She is the author of the Windy City Magic series and Super Adjacent” (Bio from the publisher’s website).
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Amber Sand comes from a rich bloodline of magic. However, instead of being a witch, she is a matchmaker who can see a person’s soulmate. Her witch mother owns the Windy City Magic Shop in Navy Pier, and Amber works there, providing love readings. Her mom’s high school friend, former Chicago Bears quarterback and current mayor, John “The Blitz” Bliztman, leaves distraught after a consultation with her mother, and Amber’s mom refuses to let her get involved. However, John’s son, Charlie, comes to Amber for help and reveals that his dad’s girlfriend is missing. Charlie and Amber team up to find her but must keep everything secret from Amber’s mother. Along the way, Amber begins to question the accuracy of her innate abilities as she finds herself falling for Charlie, even though she is definitely not his soulmate.
The Best Kind of Magic is a lighthearted and fun read that I recommend to anyone who likes magic and love. Amber is a feisty heroine who strives to prove herself because she feels inferior being a matchmaker instead of a witch. Her tenacity is both her strength and Achilles heel, as her independence and determination lead her to make some questionable choices in her pursuit to find the mayor’s missing girlfriend with the help of his son Charlie. I also enjoyed watching Amber’s confidence and perception of herself and her abilities grow, but I did not like that this came at the expense of her believing in the strength of her matchmaking skills. Due to her crush on Charlie and a “failed” match for her best friend, Amber concludes that her power is flawed, which I feel takes away from her character growth. I also wish Amber’s best friend, Amani, was included more, as her story feels unresolved. In addition, Amber and Charlie’s journey begins to fall a little flat by the end of the book due to a strange goblin subplot. The Best Kind of Magic features some of the funniest one-liners I have read in a while and is an overall fun and fast read. Plus, as a senior at the University of Arizona, I could not help but smile when Charlie uses the school motto “Bear Down” during their mission.
Emilee Ceuninck, Pine Reads Review Lead Writer & Editor