Roshani Chokshi (The Gilded Wolves), Evelyn Skye (Circle of Shadows series) and Sandhya Menon (Of Curses and Kisses) collaborate on this entrancing, magic-infused contemporary romance.
This year's Halloween marks the 400-year anniversary of the founding of the town of Moon Ridge. Legend says that magic wakes up on every 100-year anniversary, making all things possible, including finding "everlasting love." Apollonia "Onny" Diamente--a witch "adjacent" believer in the "alchemy of wonder"--plans on taking advantage of that with her two best friends, Aria "True" Tandon (a skeptic whose heart is "a nuclear wasteland") and Asher "Ash" Lee ("an awkward artist, all long limbs and quiet voice"). The trio, aka the Coven, will use a potion from Onny's Filipina grandmother's "sometimes-magic-potions... sometimes-recipes book" to awaken "the potential seedlings of love" in their crushes. Then hopefully, they'll seal the connections with kisses before the night--and magic--ends.
In Three Kisses, One Midnight, Chokshi, Skye and Menon perfectly encapsulate an autumnal mood, be it with a Halloween party that emulates the kind of fairy tale that has "teeth and just enough shadows to raise your pulse" or an apparition of a female figure with a crown of pumpkins and flowers. Each member of the Coven is given the opportunity to tell their story through three subsequent sections. The choice to forgo traditional alternating chapters allows space for each character's voice and personality to develop while also letting the events play out in real time. This trio of tales is spooky, spellbinding and filled with whimsy and charm. --Lana Barnes, freelance reviewer and proofreader