Charmed and Dangerous coming March 24th, 2026 from Joy Revolution; 288 pages
Content Warning: Involuntarily drugging, violence
About the Author: “Shelly Page has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pen. She wrote short fiction during History and Poli Sci classes at Columbia University, and FanFiction while in law school at Northwestern University. Now a practicing attorney in Los Angeles representing homeless youth, Shelly writes whenever she can. Her editorial debut, Night of the Living Queers, is a QPOC horror anthology which received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and Shelf Awareness. Her YA debut, Brewed with Love, released on January 14, 2025. Shelly lives in Los Angeles with a collection of half-dead plants” (Bio from author’s website).
Find Shelley Page on the following platforms:
In the cozy town of Fair Glen, Illinois, a dangerous magical presence lingers, and it’s up to the agents at the Bureau of Mystical Affairs to contain the problem. For Monroe Bennett, a talented mystic and junior recruit, the unconfined love charm is the perfect way to prove herself worthy of promotion. Her first mission includes protecting her charmed classmates, including the bureau director’s daughter, Iris James. When Iris asks Monroe to fake date her to make her ex jealous, Monroe sees this as the perfect opportunity to remain close with Iris and keep her safe. As someone who doesn’t believe in love, she’s confident their scheme won’t follow the typical rom-com love story. But as Monroe spends more time with Iris, it’s difficult to ignore the chemistry sparking between them, and she begins to question if she can protect her heart long enough to solve the case, or if love will get in the way.
As a queer romance enthusiast, I was really looking forward to reading this cozy and mystical love story, and it did not disappoint. Monroe’s character felt very relatable, with her familial conflicts and personal feelings towards love, and seeing Iris help her slowly open up was beautiful. I did think that Monroe’s dislike of her mother was unreasonable at first, but then remembered she is a teenager and felt it was fitting for the young adult aspect of the story. I also enjoyed Iris as a character who’s an unapologetic hopeless romantic. The love charm trope was done in a more unique style than I expected, which I found very interesting. Following Monroe’s journey as a detective solving the love charm case was satisfying, though I was able to guess the culprit behind the scheme immediately. That’s not to say the culprit was an obvious choice, but rather a cleverly hidden one that exposes ideas of heteronormativity in audiences, which I found appealing since it goes beyond harsh stereotypes within the queer community. I absolutely loved the supporting characters, specifically Andie, Daisy, and Anita. The book’s characters were very diverse, and it was refreshing to read something that did not handle homophobia or racism. I do wish the book was a bit longer since I felt the romance developed quickly, however I believe it was because the mystery was the main plot. Still, there were many rom-com tropes included with the fake dating. If you are a fan of Better Than The Movies, 2000’s rom-coms, and lesbian representation, you will love this book!
Charmed and Dangerous releases on March 24th, 2026.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Joy Revolution for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Anasofia Alejandro, Pine Reads Review Writer