Review: Death Meets Cute

Death Meets Cute by J Penner

Published By: Sourcebooks
Publication Date: April 28, 2026
Date Read: June 24, 2026
Genre: Adult – Cosy Fantasy
Source: ALC from Sourcebooks Audio
Format: Audiobook
Pages: 304

Add to Goodreads | Add to Storygraph

I am more than capable of being evil today. I think…

Iris Weyward wants to be bad. Truly bad. Terrifyingly, gloriously villainous. But after helping her sisters unleash a spell to throw the realm into chaos, Iris is left feeling strangely empty—and still not the villain of her dreams. So, she sets off for the quiet town of Fraywell to build her wicked legacy alone.

Things start a crooked little cottage, a reputation for curses and potions, and a healthy dose of fear from the locals. But when her ogre bodyguard disappears, Iris needs new muscle. Good thing a fearsome orc just toppled over in her yard. Naturally, she decides to reanimate him. It’s a perfect solution.

Only, Talon isn’t the brooding warrior she was hoping for. He’s gentle. He bakes. Worst of all, he’s nice. But Iris can’t possibly have a thing for her new employee. She’s supposed to be the most wicked witch in town!

While Iris struggles to turn Talon into the enforcer she deserves, her sisters arrive seeking help—their magic is fading, and the cause may be closer than any of them realize. The timing couldn’t be worse, and falling for an orc wasn’t supposed to be part of her villain era, but it might turn out to be the best spell she’s ever cast…

Death Meets Cute is a book I have been looking forward to since it was first announced. I first read J. Penner last year, when I dived into The Fellowship of Bakers and Magic. I absolutely loved this light and fun cosy fantasy, so when this one was announced, I was immediately excited to pick it up. Then I got an audio edition for review purposes from Sourcebooks Audio, so I couldn’t wait to dive into the audio edition. I am so glad I read this one as this is just the most fun read. I really enjoyed it from start to finish.

Death Meets Cute follows Iris, a witch who is determined to be an evil witch. She has been brought up as a evil witch and she is determined to be bad, and scare everyone. However, she’s not doing a great job. Nobody in her village seems scared by her. So when she stumbles across the dead body of a mercenary orc in her garden, she decided to resurrect him so he can be her body guard. However, once resurrected she finds Talon isn’t as ferocious as she was hoping for. He is determined to help Iris… by baking her yummy goods, and doing all her cleaning and looking after her hedgehog familiar.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. It was just so much fun. I usually listen to audiobooks when I’m driving to and from work, and I just found myself grinning and laughing all the way there and home. It was just such a cute story. I really loved Iris. I did find myself questioning why she wanted to be a bad witch so much, when she is clearly a very kind hearted person. I find it quite in opposition to her predisposition. But the more I read it, the more I understood and just found it quite amusing. Talon is the most gentle of orcs, and it just made me love him. Every time he was on the page I was just constantly having an ‘awwww’ reaction.

I loved listening to the audiobook. I think the narrator did a fantastic job of bringing this plot and these characters to life. Sometimes with audiobooks, I’m not crazy about the narration and some of the accents used, but this didn’t happen at all in Death Meets Cute. I thoroughly enjoyed the narration from start to finish. So much in fact, that I will definitely be looking to see what other books this narrator has worked on. If you’re a fan of audiobooks, I highly recommend that you give this one a go!

Death Meets Cute was adorable and such a fun read. There were elements when I wished that it had a little bit more action in the plot, but I do respect that this is a cosy fantasy book, and that’s not the point of this genre. It was such an enjoyable journey with these characters, and I will definitely be picking up the next book, which is about one of Iris’ sisters. If you’re looking for something fun, that you don’t have to think too much about and just enjoy the ride, I highly recommend you pick up Death Meets Cute.

Note: Thank you to Sourcebooks Audiobook Reviewer Programme and Libro FM for the audio edition of this in exchange for an honest review.