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book notes
title: First Witches Clubauthor: Maisey Yates
published: 3.1.2026
publisher: Montlake
Source: Kindle First Reads
genre(s): magical realism
pages: 353
format: eBook
buy/shelve it: Amazon | BookBub | BookHype | StoryGraph | Goodreads
rating:
the blurb
When three betrayed wives stumble into a magical apothecary shop, they discover that revenge is sweet—but finding true love and their own power is even sweeter in this witty, romantic novel about second chances from New York Times bestselling author Maisey Yates.
Nora, Daisy, and Soraya think their marriages are just fine. Until their husbands prove them wrong.
Nora’s says he needs distance and flits off to a wellness retreat in Chile. Daisy’s confesses to an affair with someone younger. And Soraya’s sends her a pic of that special part of himself—meant for another woman. At a loss for what to do, they follow their intuition right into Lady’s Mantle Apothecary.
As they embrace their untapped magic, their fortunes begin changing fast. Getting even with their exes is satisfying, but the real magic happens when they start opening their hearts to new possibilities. Nora discovers that true love might have been right in front of her all along in the form of her childhood best friend. Daisy finds herself falling for her ex-husband’s handsome business partner, a former TV star who sees the real her. And Soraya, who never dated before marriage, experiences an unexpected attraction to the mysterious owner of the game shop across the hall.
With the help of an enigmatic shopkeeper, these three women discover that the best revenge isn’t just about hexes and karma—it’s about finding your own path to love, friendship, and claiming your power. And that is positively magical.
a few notes
❗trigger warnings: ❗infidelity, domestic abuse (emotional)
POV: 3rd person; multi
setting: Oregon
keywords/phrases: empowerment, infidelity, friendship
tropes: unexpected love interest, dysfunctional relationships, the mentor, unlikely friendships
spice: 4.5/5
language: 4/5
mood reading: in the mood for a deeply emotional story with feelings of hope and healing.
my review
This book is a beautiful read. One of the things I loved most was the age of the characters. It seems like the majority of books tend to have characters in the under-30 age range, so having a cast in the mid-thirties was refreshing. The three women were very different from one another, living very different lives. Nora is the outspoken, still-gothy one, her boldness hiding so much trauma. Daisy is the quintessential soccer mom, fully supportive of both her kids and her husband. And Soraya is unapologetically a trad wife. But when their mutual friend’s life implodes, quickly followed by their own, they find themselves unexpectedly turning to each other.
The stories were great, albeit heart-breaking. But with the sorrow and pain came some feminine rage I could fully relate to, along with a little bit of witchy revenge. Their mentor in all this was the epitome of a fairy godmother, guiding them along their witchy path, as well as helping them regain their empowerment. There was some low-key spicy romance, too, but really the heart of the book is the women coming into their own and embracing themselves for the first time.
About Maisey Yates
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit. In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book.
Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.
She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2026 52 Books Reading Challenge
- 2026 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge
- 2026 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge: Author Edition
- 2026 Barnes & Noble Reading Challenge
- 2026 Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge
- 2026 Linz the Bookworm & Logophile Reading Challenge
- 2026 Wheel of the Year Reading Challenge
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