Why we’re excited
Lorne St. Clair sells magical antiques and hides from his past. A blackmailer orders him to copy out an enchanted manuscript whose ink almost no mage can decipher. The one person able to do it is Avalene Vale, officially dead for ten years and living in hiding because of something Lorne did to her.
Rebecca Ross has a large readership from Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, letter-writing romances with plenty of ache. A book about a magic book, with a second-chance romance between two people who have reason to distrust each other, looks well suited to her. It stands alone, so no homework is needed.
On our most-anticipated list since 21 October 2026. See all the most anticipated books →
What to know about A Bittersweet Spell
We have reviewed one of Rebecca Ross’s books so far: Wild Reverence, which we gave 4.5 out of 5.
It sits at No. 5 on our April 2027 most-anticipated list, which ranks the month's books by how many readers have saved them.
From the publisher
A cursed manuscript. An old betrayal. A second chance at love. Magic, secrets, and longing collide in this sweeping, beautiful fantasy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divine Rivals.
Lorne St. Clair has spent years hiding from his shadowy past, content to curate magical antiques in his quiet shoppe. But when a mysterious note arrives demanding he transcribe an enchanted manuscript—written in an ink only rare mages can read—his carefully guarded secrets are threatened. Refuse, and the truth about his past will be exposed.
Lorne knows one mage capable of reading the manuscript... But Avalene Vale was declared dead ten years ago.
In truth, she’s been hiding on the kingdom’s outskirts, her once-brilliant academic future stolen the night Lorne put a knife to her throat and begged her to flee. When he finds her again, asking for her help, Avalene knows she shouldn’t trust him. But enchanted manuscripts are impossibly rare, and once she begins translating, she’s drawn into the manuscript’s haunting magic—and the beautiful, dangerous story woven into its spells.
As buried truths resurface and the past tightens its hold, Lorne and Avalene must reckon with what they once were—and what they might become. What unfolds is a multi-layered, enchanting tale of glittering magic, powerful books, passionate love—and the fragile hope of second chances.
Description supplied by the publisher.
We haven’t read A Bittersweet Spell yet. When our review goes up, it will replace this page.
