An Ancient Witch's Guide to Modern Dating
Format
Paperback $10.49List price: $25.99 List Price This is the manufacturer's recommended retail price. Please note older versions of books may not reflect the most current list price due to price adjustments made on newer printings. We strive to keep the website's list price updated to match the current MSRP, based on information from publishers.
About
Meet Thorn Scarhart, a thirty-nine-year-old witch who’s having trouble finding love in the 17th century. Despite the local matchmaker’s efforts and Thorn’s arsenal of powerful love potions, she has yet to fall in love. After the disappearance of her sister and the loss of her mother, Thorn was too caught up in…well, life, to focus on dating. Now, she fears she may have missed her chance.
But, when one of her potion brews backfires spectacularly, Thorn is hurled 350 years into the future, landing in a bustling city where her once-isolated cottage is now a historical museum. While this unexpected leap through time may seem daunting, modern life does have its perks: indoor plumbing, electric kettles, and the world of online dating. At thirty-nine, the odds may not be perfect, but at least they’re not impossible.
With the help of the museum’s new curator—and her charming veterinarian brother—Thorn dives headfirst into the 21st-century dating scene. And as she searches for romance, she might also find herself along the way.
An Ancient Witch’s Guide to Modern Dating is a delightful mix of humor, heart, and a sprinkle of magic. Cozy fantasy lovers will adore this enchanting rom-com, which is a must-read for fans of Sangu Mandanna’s The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and Erin Sterling’s The Ex Hex.
Topics and Key Themes
Narrative Tropes
- Fish Out of Water
- Slow Burn
- Best Friend's Brother/Sibling
- Opposites Attract
- Accidental Time Travel
Key Themes
- Magic Can't Fix Loneliness — centuries of power couldn't fill the void that human connection finally does.
- Self-Discovery Through Culture Shock — navigating dating apps and modern chaos rewrites who Thorn thought she was.
- Love Found After Giving Up — Thorn stops searching and stumbles into the connection she'd stopped believing in.
- Past Grief Delaying the Present — lost family anchored Thorn in sorrow long before the time travel ever did.
- Old Rules, New Heart — a 17th-century mindset meets 21st-century romance, and neither survives unchanged.
Who is this book for?
Spice Level: 2 out of 5 2 / 5: Mild
A gentle simmer — a few warm moments with minimal detail; the love story leads.
About the Author
Cecilia Edward is the pen name of Remy Lai, a celebrated Australian children's author and illustrator who has won the Australian Prime Minister's Literary Award and the SCBWI Sid Fleischman Award for Humor. Continuing to publish in the middle grade, YA, and graphic novel spaces, she is thrilled to make her adult fiction debut with An Ancient Witch's Guide to Modern Dating. Remy is based in Brisbane; you can find her on Instagram @ceciliaedwardbooks.