Title: Magic & Mischief at the Wayside HotelAuthor: Elizabeth Everett
Pages: 352
Publication Date: March 10, 2026
Publisher: Ace
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Contemporary
Synopsis:
When a magical hotel appears smack-dab in the middle of the most unmagical of worlds, the last thing the residents expect is to fall in love.
Manager of the Number Five Wayside Inn and World Travel Hub, Pax Nomen has one of the easiest jobs in all the known universes, unless you count the occasional plumbing disaster. When Number Five Wayside gets stranded on a non-magical world, even Pax's trusty Wayside Handbook can’t help him. How is he going to “reboot” the hotel and keep it on its magical journey?
Josie LaChusia is a single mom experiencing debt, having parenting doubts, and tipping dangerously toward depression when an ad pops up on her phone that an apartment is available in a building she’s never seen before.
Pax needs a new guest to restart his hotel, and Josie needs a nudge to restart her life. In a building occupied by faeries, gargoyles, and a gnome with a bad attitude, two souls from very different places come together to create a home like no other.
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I really enjoyed this book. It is cozy, whimsical, and romantic, with a nice mix of fantasy and reality. The story pulled me in right away, I think because of the author’s writing style. It’s so immersive and easy to visualize, with good pacing and a fun, witty touch in both the narration and dialogue. The balance between whimsical, emotional, and romantic works really well.
I thought Josie had a compelling story and loved how her journey progressed over the course of the novel. She learned so much about herself, which was fantastic. Josie’s biggest struggle isn’t the magic or the weirdness of suddenly living in a building that definitely should not exist. It’s her mother-in-law, who constantly questions her choices, challenges her parenting, and tries to control everything for no real reason. She was the worst! Josie is a great mother, and it was frustrating in the most realistic way to watch her deal with someone who clearly wants power and control, even going so far as to try to get custody of Josie’s son. Her son, by the way, is absolutely adorable, and I loved every scene he was in.
Pax is such a sweet and endearing hero. He is kind, earnest, and a little overwhelmed, and I loved his devotion to the Number Five Wayside Inn, which is a sentient, slightly chaotic magical hotel with a mind of its own. Pax has such a steady, calming presence, and there is something really appealing about an MMC whose instinct is to care, listen, and make sure everyone around him feels safe and at home. It’s easy to see why Josie, a woman who has spent much of her life without support, is so drawn to him.
The romance between Pax and Josie is slow-building and so sweet. I loved how naturally their relationship developed and how respectful Pax was of Josie and her boundaries. He always asks for permission or consent, and he never tries to fix her or take over her life. Instead, he supports her, believes in her, and gives her the space to breathe and figure things out on her own, which I loved. He’s exactly the kind of partner she needs.
The found family vibes were also a big highlight for me. The secondary characters are fantastic, chaotic, unpredictable, and so much fun! Watching this group of magical beings try to adjust to a completely non-magical world was so entertaining, whether they were learning about human culture, falling down strange media rabbit holes, or causing unintentional mayhem. The Wayside feels even more alive because of them, and they add so much humor and heart to the story. Speaking of The Wayside, I never thought about how fun and frustrating a sentient hotel could be. lol Fabulous!
Overall, this was a fun romance. Cozy and magical with great characters, it also had some strong and validating messages about current politics. Special thanks to NetGalley and Ace for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
- found family
- slow burn
- single mom fmc
- ex-warrior mmc
Elizabeth Everett is a USA Today Bestselling author of historical romance and lives in upstate New York. Her work is inspired by her admiration for rule breakers and belief in the power of love to change the world.
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Ooh, this sounds really good. I’ve not see any other reviews for it yet but Pax sounds like a hero that will absolutely melt my heart, and Josie sounds great too! Gotta love found family and this looks like the kind of book that would have a great one (yay for judging a book by it’s cover correctly, haha). 😂 Great review, Julie!
I’ve enjoyed the author’s historical romances I’ve read so when I saw she had a magical realism/fantasy romance coming out I got very intrigued! 😀 Glad to hear it’s a good read!
I’ve read her historical romances, too, and enjoyed them. This one is very different but still really good!
I really like the sound of this one, Julie. I like a cozy fantasy and these characters sound like ones I would like. Found Family is also one of my favourite tropes. Great review.
I love found families, too, and this one is really special. I hope you get a chance to read it, Carla!
This sounds very sweet! Great review!
Thank you! I really enjoyed it, and I met the author last weekend. She’s so nice!
Glad to hear you enjoyed the book so much as this was a top 2026 release for me. My local library is getting a copy of this book, so I can’t wait to read it too.
Nice! I hope you enjoy it when it comes in!