witchbuns

Kate Goldbeck, 2025

4.5 stars for crashing into him.

I cannot give this book enough credit for letting the main character fail and make impulsive choices. I think Kate Goldbeck is the queen of normie romance and there is such a need (I deeply feel) for romances with lost souls who don’t say, “yeah I need to grow first” before falling head over heels. This has dirtbag mess and art and mistakes in parenting and the character living in her own drama and it’s so beautiful. 

Sam is somewhat of a failed academic who lives in her mother’s condo in the office room and bartends at a tiki bar restaurant. She’s supposed to study outsider art but hasn’t found the right graduate program for over five years. Nick is the father next door who is handy, capable, fully committed to his daughter and open and honest about his feelings. He also manages a Chili’s and wears old band t-shirts, pointedly has a dad bod, and is pushing 40. Every part about the love between them and time learning each other is marvelous. Kate Goldbeck really brings us into Sam’s mind as she makes the right choices to be honest with Nick, and the happiness they create together feels like discovering new territory. There is a refrain in the novel where Sam describes her life in comic book art and it’s riveting, it’s such an effective tool to bring in the audience and later it becomes a deeper piece of Sam’s escape as she cracks open her life further.  

Above all of that are great side characters with Romilly her cousin and Hal, her situationship friend. They are vibrant and fully developed. The entire plot with Hal made me ache, it’s beautiful writing on every line as Sam tries to understand the relationship needs she keeps shelving aside with him. She tries to redraw their connection as love or vulnerability but she can’t find it on the page. The loss she feels in this relationship felt very real and balanced Sam’s approach to everything with Nick. 

This felt like a full five stars when I was reading it, but I just wanted a little more in the middle where Sam builds her feelings with Nick. They moved quite quickly and I was really enjoying the Star Trek makeouts before it became much more serious. Had we spent a few more interactions to build the relationship, I’d feel more comfortable moving into the third act. I’m also holding a grudge for Sam’s mom because she spikes some dramatic judgements at Sam that I wanted to reconcile further, because they just hurt so damn much. Maybe that just hit too close to home.

Overall, highly recommend, want more of it, and cheers to how normal these extraordinary characters felt together. It was a rich, decadent love story of normies.