A sweet and magical debut that kept me glued to the pages. I couldn't put it down! It was absolutely incredible. With a bewitching main character that loves food, it's really hard to hate this one. With an easy storyline, it's a book that you can fall into on those hard days.

Omg omg omg .......... this book was amazing I could not put it down I read every word on the edge of my seat I loved the story line, i loved the way the story just kept us guessing all the way threw I loved all the twists and turns and would defiantly recommend this book it was so believable and kept the reader engaged I love it

I figured this was going to be a fairly fluffy book. I did not make it far because I found it boring, even for fluff. I might have enjoyed it more at another time, but not right now.

Super cute! I really enjoyed this. The magic put into the baking is a nice concept. Made me want to try some of their baked goods. LOL. I already went ahead and bought book two since I'd like to see more of Anise and where the story goes from here.

DEADLY SWEET's back copy immediately hooked me. I love cooking shows (there's something profoundly soothing about sitting down and watching someone bake a cake), so combine that with magic, and I couldn't wait to start reading.

DEADLY SWEET kept me enthralled throughout an entire three hour airplane ride. I read it straight through and would have immediately downloaded the sequel if it were available. Anise is a delightful character with a cheerful but realistic voice. All of the cooking scenes were comforting. While DEADLY SWEET did have some flaws, I'll be picking up the next book when it's released at the end of the year.

Most of DEADLY SWEET is well-mixed, but there were some elements that didn't work for me. The villain and their goal will be immediately obvious to readers, even though Anise and her allies couldn't figure out who was trying to kill her or why. Details about the witch world were introduced but never fully explained (such as the rules of their magic), which came across as half-baked. While I'm sure those crumbs will be expanded on in the future, I craved more depth in the introduction to Anise's world.

Deadly Sweet is a wonderful YA, coming of age and paranormal story about a young witch, Anise, who’s specialty is cooking magic. But she does not has a good handle on her magic yet, so she is sent to her famous grandmother’s bakery. And there is somebody who is not happy about it.

Anise is accepted to a culinary school, and she is given a bodyguard, especially since her grandmother’s last assistant was murdered and Anise is also threatened. But she also gets new friends, new magical friends and she also falls for the bad boy of their baking class.

Sounds like your typical YA romance novel … but it’s not. And that is why I really like it. It’s a story about a strong young girl, who knows what she wants, she learns what she can do and her story is not spoiled with pointless love and moping in a corner, because somebody said something wrong or the boy she moons to lied to her. True there is lying and love, but Anise is reasonable young girl, who knows what is important and what she wants.

Good read!!

I received this book about 10 months ago in exchange for a review. So I'm just a little bit behind...!
I planned to read it for October, but I considered my recent reading times and TBR pile and came to the conclusion that starting early was perhaps a better idea. And then I happened to read the whole thing before October even started, so now I have to wait for a month for book two! Which I need to read right now because Wynn.

Anise lives in a world where witches are known and feared. After accidentally causing a little bit of bother because of a total CREEP she has to move to live with her great aunt who owns a bakery shop near a vortex - which is something magical that might have been explained....
She finally gets to learn about baking and magic together but there ARE a few problems...she requires a constant bodyguard - a mystery wrapped up in an enigma named Wynn - and someone really isn't happy she's there...

Anise was a nice character. We got some back story without being overloaded, she wasn't whiny or too stupid - though at one point I really thought she was about to be a COMPLETE idiot - but she didn't seem to be terribly fleshed out either. It might be because this was a short book that was only set over a week or two. We had some character growth, though not much, and I'm holding out that book 2 will give us some more meaty Anise-ness (as well as a whole bunch of Wynn).
Perhaps some of the reason Anise seems a little thin on the ground is because she's in a place she doesn't know much about - which is helpful for us as neither do we! But book two is definitely set up for all of us to LEARN stuff. Especially about Wynn...

It was nice her mums friends daughters became her friends, though I was suspicious of them at first. Not just vaguely there was a specific reason, but it might be a thing in book 2 or 3.
Or maybe it's just that kind of society where women look out for women. We need more of that. So yes, I've decided that's what this is. Thanks Lola!

I liked this witchy baking book - though it WAS more about baking than witchy. But that's probably because it was about the family business of a novice bake witch....
I discovered that there will be a book 3, but I can't read the description because it has spoilers for book 2!! I'm finding it hard not to read it anyway, but what if what I hope for doesn't happen?! I'll spend the next month in a possibly false bubble of bliss thank you very much.
I look forward to learning more about this world and Wynn later.
Because he's always a win!
haha! I'm not sorry, he really is.

Why did it take me this long to get started on "Deadly Sweet"? A witch who works magic through baking? I am so there!

The book is charming and quickly read. Perhaps slightly predictable at times, but that's part of its charm. It's a fantastical cozy mystery with a twist. I loved reading about Anise's joy of baking and how she slowly but surely gathered a group of friends with whom she could be herself.

First book in the Spellwork Syndicate series. I'm definitely keen to read more.

I was positive this was going to be a sappy love story with some "magic" thrown in here and there, but boy was I wrong! This is a wonderful YA story about following your passions, being true to who you really are, and never letting anything stand in your way. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book and read more of Ainse's story!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book!

Honestly I had no clue what to expect from this book when I originally requested it. I really liked the cover, and I love food so I thought that maybe the baking part of this story would be fun. But I wasn’t prepared for how much I really really enjoyed this book!

Deadly Sweet is the best kind of fluff. It has good characters, good plot, it’s wholesome and leaves feeling happy with the world. Anise was such a sweet character, maybe I mean that pun? But anyway, I really liked her and connected with her from the first page. I love witches, and pairing that with baking? Amazing. I also loved the supporting characters. Agatha was a great eccentric aunt, I enjoyed Anise’s friends and even her mother was great.

This book had an interesting plot. Because on one hand I could see some things coming, and then other twists would completely take me by surprise. I think it was because of this that I didn’t mind when I figured out who the villain was, before they were revealed.

Like I said this book is fluffy. But I don’t mean that in an insulting way, and I don’t think that word should turn you away from this book. We all need those feel good reads sometimes, we all want to read something that’s just fun and cute and adventurous. This is that book. It’s perfect for a cozy afternoon read.

I gave Deadly Sweet four stars on Goodreads and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series!

"For fans of Hex Hall, The Magicians, Practical Magic, and Food Wars!

Anise Wise loves three things: baking, potion making, and reading her spellbooks in blissful silence. She might not be the most powerful witch, but enchantment is a rare skill, and her ability to bake with magic is even rarer. Too bad one wants witchcraft on their campus. Anise’s dream of attending pastry school crumbles with rejection letter after rejection letter.

Desperate to escape her dead-end future, Anise contacts the long-lost relative she’s not supposed to know about. Great Aunt Agatha owns the only magic bakery in the US, and she suddenly needs a new apprentice. Anise is so excited she books it to New Mexico without thinking to ask what happened to the last girl.

The Spellwork Syndicate rules the local witches in Taos, but as “accidents” turn into full-out attacks on Anise’s life, their promises to keep her safe are less and less reassuring. Her cranky bodyguard is doing his best, but it’s hard to fight back when she has no idea who’s the enemy. Or why she became their target.

If Anise can’t find and stop whoever wants her dead, she’ll be more toasted than a crème brûlée.

Who knew baking cakes could be so life or death?"

Because I NEED my Sabrina fix until the new series is a go on Netflix!

Disclaimer: Do not read Deadly Sweet with an empty stomach. Delicious cake descriptions will make you crave for something sweet and leave you mouth-watering.

PROS

Magic. Who doesn't love magic?

Baking. Lots and lots of baking. I believe this was my favourite part of the story. Anise is a baking witch, so there's a lot of sweet and comforting baking throughout the novel. And a bakery that sells magic cakes to muggles. From layered cakes, lemon pies and chocolate mousse to cookies and brownies. This book gave me a serious existential crisis: perhaps I should have become a baker.

Foundant. A grumpy cat is always a plus to me - especially a magical grumpy cat that can curse someone for life. I think my cats would love to have such a skill.

Syndicate. A group of witches that runs the town and should not be messed with. These are some powerful and supportive ladies. They protect their town and will do whatever it takes to do so. Also, there's a sisterly bound between them and that makes their magic so warm and fuzzy.

CONS

Villain. Or I'm expecting too much from my villains these days or lately they have been lackluster. First, the villain in Deadly Sweet was too obvious. I was suspicious since the first appearance. Then, the motives were not worth killing for - that was not worth turning into a warlock.

Wordbuilding. There was so much left unexplained. I wanted to learn more about the world-building: how did the witches become part of the human world? And how does someone become a Hand? And a Servant? And a Shield? I really hope the sequel brings some explanations...

I received this free from #netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just okay for me. The mystery was not such a mystery on who the villain was. I loved the cover and the concept of this book but I just don't think I enjoyed as much as I wanted to. I love the idea of cakes and witches but this story was just not for me.

I never got invested in the characters of the story. I think if it would have had a little bit more information or break the book down more, I would have enjoyed it better.

There is a lot of baking due to Anise is a witch with baking magic. Such a cute concept.

I am not sure if this is a stand alone but if this does become a series, I am not sure if I would continue on.

***2.75

Overall, I liked the girly and witchy aesthetic of this book. I loved the bakery, the house, and Taos in general. The magic system was very cool. I liked the magical greeting system a lot. But, the story was lacking. The plot twist was extremely predictable. I figured it out fairly early in the story. The main character didn't really seem that smart. I wish the book focused more on the awesome magic system and the Syndicate over the plot that this book has.

Deadly Sweet was a fun, magical read! Its beautiful cover completely captivated me, and I was happily pleased with the story being surrounded by baking yummy (magical) treats!

"No matter how much people hated me for being a witch, my magic was the most me thing about me."

I really enjoyed reading inside this world where magic is legal but not completely accepted. It was interesting to compare it with our own world and relate to it on a certain basis.. And the characters within were just as great.
Anise isn't your typical YA heroine and for the most part.. this felt refreshing. But there were a lot of times where I was frustrated with her thoughts because *I* personally wanted to know more about something.. So I just wanted HER to know more also and not always accept things so easily based on what others told her was true or false.
There's great girl friendships in this book which is always the best for me! A good mom and daughter relationship, too. And honestly there isn't much romance.. I mean there is but I wasn't for it (you'll see why). BUT there's potential for more romance in the next one so I'm crossing my fingers on that! :)

The only downfall for me was the way the magic was explained throughout the story.. There were some parts where I thought maybe I missed something? Because it felt like it was already explained when it actually wasn't. I needed more detail on things but there wasn't always any. It would have been fun to read more on how the spells worked within the sweets, too.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I'm a huge fan of Lola Dodge's writing and it has only improved since her previous works! I'm invested in Anise's journey and I'm looking forward to where the series goes from here. <3

It really wasn't for me and I had to abandon about halfway through. It will be good for those who really enjoy witchcraft novels.

I started reading this book before my exams, and continued it after they were done. So my memory of the beginning is a little hazy. (Mind it, the gap was around a whole month) But I do remember feeling bored at the very beginning. But then there was all the action and the fire and I was totally wow-ed.

Anise was an awesome character and watching her develop from the girl who never took risks into the girl who ultimately became the heroine was amazing.

And Wynn, the silent protector. What can I say about him? My favourite moment was when he finally lets his guard down for just the tiniest second to smile in appreciation of the pie Anise made to thank him.

Even more favourite was the fact that there was no romance between them. At least not in this one. But I'm hoping it'll be there in the next book, so yeah I just contradicted myself.

Anyway, Deadly Sweet was a killer, full of action, sarcasm and witty remarks that made me giggle.

Sorry but I couldn't get into the book at all. I tried though, I'm so sorry for my ADD brain.

Deadly Sweet had a lot of potential, but not enough payoff. Really cool magic stuff is mentioned briefly, then dropped. A lot of the plot hinges on people not communicating very common-sense things to know. It was a frustrating reading experience for me personally.