Book Review: The Witch, The Baker, and The Curse Maker by Colleen Delaney

September 18, 2026

So, when I requested this book from NetGalley, I either didn’t see that it was the fifth in the series, or didn’t realize that would matter (you know like Laurie Gilmores Dream Harbor doesn’t super matter if you read them in order?) but it 100% does. I feel like I missed a lot of information. But, I still really enjoyed it. Definitely confused at times but for the most part I could still figure out how things all worked. And now I have four more witchy romances to read. Seems like a win win to me.

We follow the story of the last Bay (their last name) Witch of the family, the oldest, Lavender. When she was twenty years old, her parents passed, and Lavender took guardianship over her three youngest sisters. Now she had to play big sister and parent. She moved them all to a small town on the Atlantic north coast and was doing everything in her power to keep all her sisters safe. In doing so, she had to leave behind her soulmate, the man who was tied to her lifetime after lifetime, in order to keep her head in straight. There was a curse on their line and a family of witches and warlocks after them. The safety of her sisters and the continued existence of witches in her line all weighed on her shoulders. So when her soulmate shows back up, thirteen years later, as the curse is almost completed its intentions, she tries to send him away. Will she be able to resist him? Will she be able to break the curse before it steals all her family’s magic? Can she keep her sisters safe?

This book is higher stakes than a cozy read but not so high that I was filled with dread as I read it. It still felt hopeful even as chaos was unfolding. I loved reading about Lavender’s love of her sisters and her connection, throughout time, with her soulmate. I really enjoyed the world that Delaney created. I look forward to reading the first four books in this series.

Thank you to the author for creating this story, and NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read it.