Quick Synopsis – Evelyn Sharpe is accustomed to dealing with natural disasters as a land witch, but she longs for a life with a little less danger for her and her adopted daughter, Ruby. So, when the opportunity to take over as Caretaker of Thornwood House—a sentient home that acts as the magical heart of the village of Iskendra—arises, it seems almost fated.

When they arrive in sunny Iskendra, Evie and Ruby find the house is nothing like what they expected: First of all, it has walked away from the address. Thornwood House is also grumpy, guarded, and extremely hesitant to allow the two witches through its doors. Armed with gentle hearts and wild magic, Evie and Ruby begin to form tentative bonds with the house and the citizens of the small town. But there’s something deeply damaged about the building seeping into the forests surrounding Iskendra, and Evie will have to use all her power to protect the roots she’s started to grow.

Song This Reminds Me Of – Superbloom by MisterWives

Publication Date – June 9, 2026

Bookshop Link – The Reimagining of Thornwood House by Jaleigh Johnson (I receive a small commission if you order using my link)

Content Notes – There is some light violence, blood, and violence against a dog. No animals die in this book. There is also some bullying and government corruption.

Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

Review – I love me some found family. This book is so sweet, it was a good palette cleanser after some darker books I’ve been reading. Evie is a land witch who works for a government agency that focuses on disaster response. She was tricked into signing a 20-year contract when she was 18. Now, in her mid-20s and with an 11-year-old adopted daughter, she wants something more stable than fighting wildfires and hurricanes. Evie finds a loophole in her contract; she can leave her position if there is another position that better serves the mission of the ERCA. Which is how she becomes the caretaker of Thornwood House. Her mission is to restore the house….or she will have to return to the ERCA and they will cancel the adoption of Ruby.

Evie and Ruby move to a smaller village and are prepared to restore Thornwood House. Thornwood House is a magical sentient house, that is sometimes prone to wandering off. As Evie and Ruby settle in, they discover there is more than just restoring the house. There seems to be something sapping the power away from Thornwood House. As they work to solve the mystery there is a hot neighbor (Gil), a kind of quirky mayor, and a surly nepo baby. I felt like this book really organically built a community around Evie and Ruby. They both had some small missteps, but they really blended into the village. I also loved the house, who wouldn’t want to live in a sentient house?

I wish there had been more explanation of the magic system and classifications. There were random lore drops here and there, but I felt like there could have been a more basic explanation. I did love that as a land witch, Evie’s powers weren’t just about controlling nature but giving her power back to the land. This was truly a cozy novel, there was some adventure, but overall a chill read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing – Ace for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.