A desperate witch inheriting a tea shop, a famous bard needing a break, and the fake-dating scheme that could help them both.

After years of getting bitten, scratched, and burned at her father’s magical creature shop, Emma Thorne is ready for a new job. She doesn’t expect to inherit a sentient shop that makes tea—and love matches.

The only problem? The mystical shop refuses to accept Emma as its owner until she shows interest in love, something she doesn’t want, not when it might mean losing her independence. Enter Riven Shiu: famous bard and Emma’s childhood friend. Desperate for a break from the women constantly fawning over him, he strikes a deal with Emma.

They’ll fake a relationship and solve each other’s problems. Emma will earn the tea shop’s trust, and Riven will get some much-needed respite from his more enthusiastic fans.

But between the romantic outings, hot tea, and growing tension, Emma is beginning to wonder if this pretend relationship might be more real than she ever expected.

The coziness and low-stakes fantasy of Legends & Lattes meets the romance of Bridgerton in Magic & Matchmaking, a friends-to-lovers novella featuring a tea shop with an attitude problem, a snarky miniature dragon, and all the cottagecore vibes.