The Starter Problem

Her rival's grandmother left him a starter with a mind of its own. Now it's decided they belong together - and it isn't taking no for an answer. Marigold "Mari" Fenn built Hearth & Honey into the kind of shop a whole village depends on, one perfect loaf at a time. Being needed is the only kind of safe she trusts. So when Wilder Ashcombe - the infuriatingly talented rival who opened shop right across the square - shows up on her doorstep asking for help, she knows exactly how much that admission must be costing him. His grandmother's century-old sourdough starter, Clementine, has started doing things starters shouldn't: humming when he's nervous, rising into suspiciously heart-shaped loaves, spelling out words no one taught her. She isn't just alive. She's an unregistered Arcane Heirloom Culture - and if the Cartório's inspector finds her before Mari and Wilder do something about it, she'll be confiscated and destroyed on the spot. No appeal. No second chances. Working side by side to save her means late nights, closer counters, and a rivalry that keeps forgetting to stay professional. It also means keeping secrets from the very people sworn to protect them - a bet that gets more dangerous with every batch Clementine bakes. Because the deeper Mari and Wilder fall, the harder Clementine tries to tell everyone exactly how they feel, one confession-inducing biscuit at a time. With the Hearth Festival bearing down and an inspection they can't outrun, Mari and Wilder are running out of time to figure out which is more terrifying: losing Clementine, or admitting what she's known all along. THE STARTER PROBLEM is Book Two in the Reformed Spellcasters series - a sweet, cozy fantasy romance full of banter, baking, and just enough magic to make the truth impossible to hide. Perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes, A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping, and Spellshop.