Amidst the chaotic and busy schedule this month, I have sought out some cosy fantasy reading to keep me calm and away from my screen for far too many hours in a row, and India Holton’s The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire felt like the right pick to kick off this little side quest of cute fantasy reading.

Magical-antique experts Amelia Tarrant and Caleb Sterling have been best friends forever, although lately each has begun secretly wishing for more than friendship. But when rumours about their relationship spread, they’re forced to fake being enemies to protect their reputations and keep their jobs. The resulting arguments spark havoc across Oxford University, and when they cause an explosion while fighting over a magical antique, it’s the final straw for their exasperated faculty head. He dispatches them to a job in Cumbria where even they can’t get into trouble.… Which proves just how wrong one man can be. In a stormbound old manor house, Amelia and Caleb face magical mayhem and rampaging ghosts that make the previous havoc look mild in comparison. Most troublesome of all, though, is the secret of how they feel about each other. When it comes to tackling deadly antiques, hiding the truth in their hearts could destroy them for real.

I adore the Dangerous Demsel series, and Love’s Academic is one of those adorable historical fantasy academic romance series that is all bits cosy, sweet, adventurous, action-packed, and humorous. It is a bit of everything in equal measure, told in a perfectly witty and proper way that makes for such brilliant storytelling and character development. This blend of genres really makes for such an interesting and engaging narrative style, and I find myself always smiling when it comes to India Holton’s writing. It is cosy, it is funny, and it is the right balance of historical influence and fantasy chaos.

These characters are so precious, not to mention the whole troupe of Love’s Academic that make for such beautiful interactions, relationships, and dynamics. Amelia is stoic and prim and hides behind the behaviours that her rigorous upbringing beat into her, but Caleb always knows. Caleb is attentive, understanding, and so deeply invested in Amelia that the two of them in a room together make for more than just a few magical sparks and explosions. They have been the most vivid duo in the series, but they make me want to reread The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love and The Geographer’s Map to Romance again.

If you need a light-hearted historical fantasy romance full of laughs, heated eye contact, sudden magical interruptions and ensemble characters who have more than a few screw loose, marbles lost, and brain cells otherwise occupied, then definitely give India Holton’s books a read. The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire puts fake-hating back on the map, making it as fiery and emotionally-charged as ever, while also providing more scenes of real hardship, tears, and grounded reality (before then throwing in a wrench or two to keep you guessing). It is tense, wild, and perfect for a reader in need of a little whimsy to brighten up their day.