Witch You Would - by Lia Amador (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

When a young witch gets a life-changing chance to compete in a magical reality show, sparks fly as she's partnered with a man she can't stand.

In a Miami where enchantment is just another college major, the magic of television could change two lives.

Penelope Delmar, a broke salesgirl, has been chosen to compete on Cast Judgment, a spellcasting reality show. The winner gets a big cash prize, and for extra hype, this season is the Spellebrity Edition: every contestant will be paired with a celebrity teammate. Unfortunately, her partner, Leandro Presto, is best known for his goofy viral spell videos, not his skills.

Gil Contreras, alias Leandro Presto, has been crushing on his pen pal Penelope for months. Now they're working together to win a contest that could save his grandfather's charity--except he has to stay in character the whole time, so his dream girl thinks he's a total loser.

Can they beat snobby rivals, fix spells gone wrong, and survive increasingly dangerous sabotage attempts to win the grand prize--and each other's hearts? Or will Gil's secret make both their magic and romance fizzle out?

TROPES:

fake datingsecret admirersenemies to loversmistaken identity grumpy sunshine

Review Quotes

"Valerie Valdes delivers a hilarious and heartwarming story of a lovably screwed-up found family pinballing through a galaxy of spies and villains. My crops are watered, my skin is clear, my shields are at full strength, and my heart is ready for Eva's next adventure." -- Patrick Weekes, author of Feeder

"Valdes sprinkles humor and sarcasm liberally, bringing levity to the storyline. The plot moves briskly, with enough momentum to keep readers entertained from start to finish. Valdes blends found family, adventure, and humor to end a fun trilogy on a high note." -- New York Journal of Books on Fault Tolerance

"This is a wild and imaginative adventure that captures the importance of one's chosen family." -- BookPage

"Jam-packed with weird aliens, mysterious artifacts, and lovable characters... Eva and her family are Latinx and often include un-italicized Spanish in their dialogue, a rare find in a genre that usually uses whiteness as the default. A tremendous good time and an impressive debut." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on Chilling Effect

"Featuring memorable Cuban-descended characters, this engaging space opera debut delivers a story that dances between hilarity and seriousness, with all the joy and frustration psychic cats can bring to the mix." -- Library Journal (starred review) on Chilling Effect