A Pinch of Magic
I picked up A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison in a recent charity shop adventure because I liked the cover. After losing several weeks to a mammoth historical family saga, it looked like a good option - and there's certainly nothing wrong with it in terms of writing, characters, intriguing plot, etc. It's just I didn't realise when I picked it up that it's a middle grade book (and also the first in a quite lengthy series) and that just wasn't what I was looking for right now.