I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Witches of Dubious Origin by Jenn McKinlay Published by Ace Books on October 28 2025
Genres: Adult, Cozy fantasy
Pages: 384
Format: Finished paperback
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: A powerful grimoire is the catalyst for this magical, funny, feel-good fantasy.
“Olive wore black sunglasses and a black trench coat over another completely black outfit. I wondered briefly what her closet looked like. I suspect it was like a small black hole. She could reach in and pull out anything, knowing it would match. Maybe she was onto something there.”
I had never heard of Jenn McKinlay before, but apparently she’s written a lot of books, including the popular Library Lovers mysteries. And I can see why so many readers love her books. Witches of Dubious Origin is a low stakes, upbeat fantasy with engaging characters, a tiny bit of romance, and lots of humorous action. I really enjoyed this, and while it appears to be a standalone story, I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns into a series at some point.
Zoe Ziakas works as a librarian at the Wessex Public Library. She loves her job and her comfortable, low key life. But one day she receives a mysterious package in the mail that throws that life into chaos. Inside is an old black book with arcane symbols on the cover, sealed with a metal band. With no return address on the envelope, it’s impossible to tell where it came from. Her coworker encourages Zoe to take it to the Museum of Literature in New York City to have it evaluated, and they might even be able to help her open it.
When she arrives, Zoe is surprised to find that the museum deals in magical—and sometimes dangerous—books. As soon as the director of the museum takes a look at Zoe’s book, she directs her to the staff of BODO—Books of Dubious Origin. Jasper, Tariq, Olive and Miles warmly welcome Zoe to their department, and it isn’t long before they figure out that the mysterious book is actually a grimoire and it belongs to Zoe. Only a drop of her blood can magically open the clasp and reveal the contents.
When an undead woman named Eloise knocks on Zoe’s door and tells her some shocking things about her mother and grandmother, Zoe realizes she might be in danger. Dark forces are after the grimoire, and Zoe will need to learn magic to protect herself. The catch? She swore to her mother years ago that she would never do magic, and breaking that vow is something she’s not ready to do.
While my story description might seem a little convoluted, rest assured the story will make sense when you read it. Witches of Dubious Origin is a nicely paced adventure with a bit of occasional danger, but it’s not the kind of story where you’ll worry too much about the characters. McKinlay adds lots of humor and some very PG romance—for readers who like their romance clean, there’s only one kissing scene in the book along with some light flirting. I really liked Zoe’s character. She grew up knowing about magic, and her Mamie even taught her some spells when she was young, but a family tragedy forced her mother to forbid Zoe from practicing, and she hasn’t broken that promise—until now.
The rest of the BODO team form a nice found family, and by the end of the story Zoe has joined them. My favorite character was Olive, a stern woman who seems to dislike Zoe from the moment they meet, but honestly, she had the funniest, snarkiest lines in the book, which is why I enjoyed her so much. Jasper is the potential love interest, and I had to giggle at all of Zoe’s inner commentary about how tall and gorgeous he was.
Zoe finds out quite a bit about her family history during the story, including some shocking things about her mother and grandmother. She also learns she has powers far beyond what she imagined, and of course there’s a villain who makes an appearance late in the story that Zoe is expected to vanquish. As for the plot, a lot of it was predictable and followed some familiar tropes, but it was the library setting and the characters that elevated the book above the norm.
As for negatives, the action goes off the rails near the end of the story when the author introduces some rather silly elements. I also felt the story was a touch too long, as I found myself a little bored in spots. But those are minor complaints. Overall, this was a lot of fun, and I’ll definitely be up for reading more of Jenn McKinlay’s books.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
I feel like I would really enjoy this book. I love the idea of a librarian receiving a mysterious book which she takes to a museum and ends up with BODO. Idk, it just speaks to me. 😛
I loved the library parts and the fact that she loves research:-)
Hmmm, this sounds worth a try!
It was fun!
This sounds really good, your description of Zoe made me think of Bilbo, she had a nice quiet life that she loved until the Grimoire arrived!
Lynn 😀
Yes exactly! Zoe didn’t want to leave her comfortable small village to go to the big city:-)
This does sound very cute! Great review!
Thanks Lisa! It was very cute.
Wonderful review! I think this would be a fun read and I’d like it too.
Thanks Anne. I think you would enjoy it:-)
She is probably one of my most-read authors just because she writes so much in so many different genres. Well, that and I am actually current on the Library Lovers series which I think is up to #14 or so. I didn’t actually get to this one but plan on working it in during January. Right now I am focusing on upcoming releases and Christmas books. Great review and glad you finally read one from her!
I know you and Stormi both love her, so I’m glad I finally read one of her books!
This sounds like a fun book! I haven’t read anything by Jenn McKinlay yet either, but I want to try this one.
I’m definitely going to try some of her other books, there’s a lot to choose from:-)
This sounds cute and fun (and obviously I have to add it to my TBR!!). Even if the story felt a bit too long in places all the rest sounds pretty good!!
It was a lot of fun!
I can’t help but be curious about a book about books, and one featuring a library and a group of experts on books of dubious origins. Something very appealing about all that.
It’s a great set up for a story, and perfect for book lovers:-)
This sounds like so much fun! I’ll keep an eye out for the author, who I haven’t read. Thank you for a lovely review, Tammy.
I think you would enjoy her!
I’m curious enough to try this. It sounds like fun. Will add to the TBR.
I’d not heard of or read Jenn McKinlay either! Looks like I’ll have to put her name on my watchlist.
The author’s name sounded familiar, so I looked on Goodreads and I think maybe she has some contemporary romance books that are already on my TBR? This one sounds really good too, sounds like you enjoyed it. Great review!
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2025/12/01/favorite-first-lines-10-november-2025/