Book Review: The Mudpuddle Manual of Natural Magic

Book #64 for 2025: The Mudpuddle Manual of Natural Magic by Ciara Blume, 3.5/5 ★
484 pages / published September 2024 / available here

Goodreads blurb: Eccentric heiress Maida Westabrook treasures her peaceful, "ordinary" life in California—morning strolls along the beach, warm evenings by the fire, and losing herself in her beloved library of myths and legends. Yet Maida can’t shake the nagging feeling that there’s more to her story than she’s been led to believe. Strange and inexplicable occurrences have always surrounded her, dismissed as nothing more than her overactive imagination. When a distant relative mysteriously vanishes, a body is discovered, and Maida’s lifelong dream of owning an enchanted bookshop suddenly comes true she realizes her "wild" imagination might not have been so far-fetched after all. … As Maida unravels the secrets of her past, she’s forced to rethink everything she once held true. Saving the bookshop—and protecting her newfound magical family—will require more courage than she ever thought possible, including risking her heart.

My review: This book surprised me. At some point, I started the first few chapters and then deemed it a DNF until this week. I decided to give it another try and was pleasantly surprised that it was more enjoyable than I initially thought. There was some odd pacing that threw me off and the switching POVs/repeating chapters didn’t work – I’d rather have just seen played out from multiple angles all at once. I would also have loved to see more personal growth from Maida. It felt like there were so many different characters’ stories the author wanted to develop that by the end, readers are just skipping stones across the cast. I also struggled to keep the characters’ ages fixed in my mind for some reason, though it was stated for some. A small annoyance, but I’d much have preferred the family name to be Westbrook instead of Westabrook – it just felt slightly wrong every time I read it. The plot is fairly predictable, but I didn’t mind too much. Overall, it didn’t blow me away, but it was fun enough for a cozy-ish read. I may give book two a try eventually, but I’m not committed yet. A good fit for fans of The Crescent Moon Tea Room.

On another note... I updated my reading expense tracker for the year since we've crossed into July. I haven't been keeping a running total, but I was surprised when I calculated it today. Since January, I have saved $652.47! Obviously, I'd never actually pay that amount, but it still feels good to see! I can't wait to share a full breakdown at the end of the year.