When no-nonsense witch Vail takes over as Headmistress of Arcane Academy, she’s ready to whip the school into shape—not deal with corrupted wards or animated gargoyles. She’s definitely not ready for a mouth-watering bear shifter who makes her want to skip faculty meetings for some private tutoring.

Alpha bear shifter, Kaine Urso, is used to keeping his company running smoothly, his sleuth safe, and his territory protected. But when the Academy falls under attack, his bear roars “Mine!” at the fiery Headmistress whose magic matches her sass. Now he’s got his paws full with a stubborn witch who insists she can handle things alone—even as her classroom fills with purple smoke and possessed statues!

Between midnight ward patrols, magical emergencies, and steamy encounters in the school library, Vail and Kaine discover that when they work as a team, they pack quite the punch. And Kaine’s bear? He’s ready to earn an A+ in claiming his witch! Can a protective alpha and a fierce Headmistress pass the ultimate test? And just how many school rules will they break before these two admit they’re perfect for each other?

Titles in the Mystic Hollow series include:  Enchanting the Alpha ~ A Roar for Magic ~ Hex and Scales ~ Bearly Bewitched ~ A Hex and A Howl ~

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  Bearly Bewitched
Series:  Mystic Hollow #4
Author:  Milly Taiden
Published:  March 13, 2025
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Bearly Bewitched is the fourth title in the Mystic Hollow series, and brings us Vail and Kaine’s heated romance.  Vail is returning home as the new headmistress of the Arcane Academy, a place where she and her friends once learned to control their magic.  She has a particular agenda to implement, a curriculum that teaches those students with hybrid magic how to control and use their combined witch and shifter magics.  Unfortunately, there are those who want hybrid magic to simply disappear, who believe that only pure witch magic should be taught at the academy. Or to exist at all.  One particular enemy will go to extreme lengths to ensure that happens.

Kaine is the alpha of the bear sleuth, a woodworker, and the uncle/guardian of Daisy, a young hybrid whose magic has been cursed, and she often struggles to control her magic. However, there are moments with her magic delights with charming butterflies or bearflies.  Kaine wants his niece protected and to thrive in her magic.  His first encounter with the new headmistress reveals that Vail is far more than just the headmistress; she’s his mate, and life just got interesting for them both.

I completely enjoyed myself with Vail, Kaine, and Daisy’s story.  The threat that they face is very real and will take the combined effort of this small magical town to thwart.  I adored young Daisy; she’s far more mature than anyone realizes and will be key to solving the troubles they all face.  Vail and Kaine’s developing mate bond is slow-moving, as the threat to the academy and them is at the forefront of their story.  If you love a well-written, steamy, emotional shifter romance with drama, humor, and danger, then you’d love Bearly Bewitched by Milly Taiden. I loved this visit to Mystic Hollow and can’t wait to return for the next story.

I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

If you love this author’s work, be sure to visit our Milly Taiden page for reviews of other series, or just to discover series you might have missed.

This title is available at Amazon (affiliate link)