The Hearth and the Hex
- Fantasy
- Romance
Winnie Pemberton used to handle the heat of a Michelin-star kitchen, but her new bakery’s oven is literally a portal to another dimension. After a public scandal ruins her career in New York, Winnie flees to the mountain village of Oakhaven to claim her inheritance. She expected flour and quiet; she got clumsy wizards trading stardust for sourdough and pastries that occasionally explode. Enter Gideon Vance. He’s the town’s sheriff, a retired high-level warlock, and incredibly grumpy about Winnie’s 'magical noise violations.' He wants a quiet life; she’s accidentally summoning spirits with her cinnamon rolls. Their bickering is sharp, but the physical attraction between them is even sharper. When their rivalry boils over into steamy, flour-dusted encounters in the kitchen, Winnie realizes the sheriff’s bite is just as intoxicating as his bark. But a dangerous rift in the pantry is leaking ginger-scented chaos that threatens to turn the entire town into gingerbread. As Gideon’s mysterious past catches up with him, Winnie must master her latent kitchen-witch powers to save her home. In a world of enchanted socks and sentient dough, can a disgraced chef and a weary warlock find a recipe for forever? Serve hot. This spicy cozy fantasy is perfect for readers who like their romance sweet, their magic chaotic, and their heroes brooding.