Asher created some new and wonderful elements to add to Witch and Shifter lore in Not the Witch You Wed. There were aspects of this book that delighted me and others that left me wanting a little bit more. The Good - Asher created a universe with interesting and innovative takes on the paranormal romance genre. The Bad - The characters felt underdeveloped to me as well as the world building itself. I would have loved to know more about why the council was created and what exactly a Prima. I wished the steamy scenes were steamier. At times it felt like the characters were contradicting themselves and the dialogue felt too cliche at times, especially during moments of flirtation and banter between Violent and Lincoln. Still, despite the aspects that I didn't enjoy I found myself having a hard time putting down my kindle.

I loved this book. There is a deftness to the world building that I find so fun; the author manages to explain the rules of this magical universe in a natural way that doesn't jar the reader constantly out of the story. The characters feel real and so SO funny. The relationship between the two main characters is like a good romantic comedy relationship. I don't usually like when the two main characters have a previous relationship that we have to learn about after the fact, but she does it really well.

I laughed, and I felt like I was reading something fresh. Four strong stars.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

This is such a charming and fun story. Vi and Linc's chemistry jumps off the page. Vi and her relationship to her sisters (triplets) is another treat. This is a very witty book. The only problem is it starts out so abruptly with Vi's sister's bonding party (engagement). It's cute and funny but I think the scene needs to be set a little more to world build. It settles down after the first chapter and especially after Vi and Linc have their meet cute. I am really looking forward to reading the two sisters and Vi's best friend's stories.

This is the perfect feel-good, supernatural romance to get you out of any reading slump. Everything in this book (the characters, the world, the fake dating trope) kept me up well past a decent hour, just so I could finish it and find out what happens. So well written, and the chemistry between the two main characters oozed off the page, like its own kind of magic. I loved everything about this book.

Ridiculously entertaining. This is the type of book that will keep you up past your bedtime, grinning from ear to ear, as you devour each page.

I loved Violet from the start. She knew who she was and accepted that she was different. Her relationships with her sisters and her gram pulled at my heartstrings.

And then there’s Lincoln Thorne, an alpha shifter who deserves to be alpha, but doesn’t act like a total jerk. Who doesn’t love a hero who is trying to fight the system to make life better for those he’s responsible for and who is great with kids?!

Mix in the fabulous, witty banter, the eclectic secondary characters, along with a well-written story and you’ve got the perfect book to escape into. I haven’t read April Asher before, but I definitely will be in the future.

Thank you for providing me a copy of this book to review!

My favorite part about reading is when I get lost in a book, and Not the Witch You Wed was one of the most entertaining books I've read in a while. I kept smiling while reading this book, and I became so invested in the relationship in this book. If you like paranormal romance books and are looking for something funny and fast-paced, Not the Witch You Wed is the perfect read.

It's an enemies to lovers romance with fake dating, and the banter between Violet and Lincoln was one of my favorite parts of the book. I read this book during my morning commute, and I kept trying not to laugh and disturb the complete silence of the 8 am train. I was also hoping no one on the train saw how much I was blushing while reading this because the tension between Violet and Lincoln is also great. They had so much chemistry, and I found their relationship believable.

I also really liked Violet's character. She has her own problems outside of her relationship with her new magic, and I loved seeing the way she handled it. She's a confident and self-reliant character. I liked seeing her have a strong relationship with Lincoln while still maintaining her own life, from learning to control her magic to nurturing her relationships with friends and family. She's also a curvy character, and I appreciated how she was depicted.

My only critique of this book was that I wanted a little more backstory. Not the Witch You Wed is fast-paced and the story gets started quickly, which makes the book engaging but there were some details that I felt I was missing while I read. Firstly, I needed a little more explanation of supernatural politics and society. I wanted to know more about the supernatural council responsibilities outside of just ensuring that people get married or bonded. Violet's grandmother is on the council, so I'm sure that they aren't all evil and do good things too.

I also wanted more of Violet and Lincoln's relationship in high school. We're told that they had a strong relationship and that's why Lincoln becomes so enamored with Violet quickly. However, we don't know much about what that relationship looked like. I think a longer flashback to a scene in high school with Lincoln and Violet would've strengthened the backstory that becomes the foundation for their love. I kept forgetting that they had been romantically involved before the events in the story.

Ultimately though, I loved the romance in this book, and I couldn't put it down, so it's one I would recommend to everyone.

This was a delightful read and I am so excited there will be more books since we're introduced to three sisters in this book and I need to know what happens to the other two now that we have Violet, the oldest of the triplets, off on the right track. This was laugh out loud funny in parts (Violet may have some of the best friends and family in a rom-com in awhile) and I also appreciated that while this is fantasy, it's still taking place in the "real" world and Violet has the same crazy family that we all do, just add magic. The only thing I would note is a few times the story was slightly disjointed - I wondered if I'd missed a scene a few times which, since I was reading an ARC, is a possibility but it was never bad enough that I felt I missed anything that vital. Loved this and can't wait for more!

Absolutely loved this one! Really enjoyed this one! It was a just what I was looking for. Definitely will recommend to friends.

I absolutely loved this book and I hope there are more to come. It was so fun and exactly what someone needs to get into the fall spooky season mood! Violet was such a great main character and I loved the chemistry in the book!
All opinions are my own, thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC ebook.

This story was such a fun and magical ride! I loved the world that the author created and the characters were all amazing in their own unique ways. I will have to say though, I absolutely loathed Violet’s mother, I hope she can redeem herself in the following books to come. I thoroughly enjoyed Violet and Lincoln’s story, especially their sweet and steamy connection. This book is everything I could want in a second-chance romance. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the next one!

Not the Witch You Wed is an adorable paranormal romance that I finished in 2 days. Violet is a great character who you can't help but like from the start. Her chemistry with Lincoln is great and I was rooting for these two throughout the entire book. This is the first book I read on this subject and it won't be my last it was AMAZING!!!!

Vi and Linc have great chemistry, and there is nothing fake about their romance. Couldn't put it down. The opening of the book is fast, and it felt like I was reading a second book instead of a first in a new series, especially in the beginning. Perfectly set up for a prequel, and I hope one is written.

I loved this! I loved every single thing about it! I've been leaning more towards paranormal romcoms these last couple of months and this one in particular delivered! I can't wait to read more from the author in the very near future! Highly recommend. This will be a hit in 2022!

4.5. Not the Witch You Wed
April Asher
Violet and Lincoln
Violet is witch royalty and Lincoln is the shifter head for North America. They have a history together that involves Lincoln standing her up during an attempt to run away together. Lincoln’s father forced a pact on Lincoln: in order to save her life he had to sever all ties. And he put a hex on Lincoln, he could never talk about the reason for his jilting. Violet hates him but he still wants her. And maybe she still has feelings for him. In the present day both have only months to find a mate before one is forced upon them. After some magic gone bad/good on Violet’s side they decide to fake date each other to gain some time. But is it fake or could they be True Mates?
I would recommend this book to my patrons.

I really liked this book. I've never read anything from this author before but I sure will read more of her work in the future.
This was a good little novel. It was fast, had a few plot threads that all tied up nicely by the end, had some fun supernaturals, and also had a bit of character development. It all came together in a sweet, enjoyable package. I absolutely adored how April Asher made Violet and her sisters so unique and sweet each in her own way right from the beginning. I enjoyed this story a lot and really liked getting to know Lincoln and Violet and her sisters as well. This book was exactly what expected it to be in the best way possible. When I read the blurb I was intrigued and I'm happy to say the book didn't disappoint at all. Everything I hoped for when I started reading this book I got: magic & interesting heroine, the action, sparks filled relationship between Violet and Lincoln, fabulous secondary characters, interesting mythology... There are also some great relationship dynamics that I'm hoping get explored more in the following books (if we get them).
All in all this was a fun little story - I wouln't have minded if it were a bit longer though.

This was a great fantasy read! I really enjoyed the characters and I would definitely be interested in reading the sequel!

DNF @ 27%

I was really enjoying this book because it’s funny and mostly light so far, and I <I>love</I> antagonistic banter, but a throwaway comment about virginal Succubus not having “technical intercourse” hit me as not welcoming to me as a queer person. I was already a little side-eye for comments on bra cup sizes because that really doesn’t say anything about a characters appearance, but this crossed the line for me personally. I may pick it back up, because as I said I was definitely enjoying the book and I was just about to get to the fake dating (one of my favorite tropes) and it kept making me giggle, especially the witchy cursing (what the hex!), but idea of “technical intercourse” hit me badly and I can’t convince myself to read past that line…

The story is a romance between a witch and the leader of a wolf pack who by product of each of their circumstances are forced to fake a relationship. Throw in the fact they were in love when they were younger and things get messy.

It’s a super quick and easy read and is frankly perfect for this time of year. The characters themselves are charming and the magical politics keep it interesting.

Corny phrases often made Violet’s voice seem unrealistic. I can’t remember the exact phrase but one in particular occurs earlier on in the novel and I actually cringed while reading it and screamed “what person actually talks like that?”

Lincoln being a shifter is most irrelevant to the story other than to serve as a rationale behind his importance to the community. I for one would have liked to have seen more scenes where he was shifting. Otherwise his wolfish nature was just depicted with statements saying he got a wolfish look in his eye, which after a while became slightly repetitive.

I could see how the groundwork was being laid for future spin-offs and the world was interesting enough that I would definitely be interested in picking up future books if that is the case.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good shifter romance. Honestly it didn't seem like the shifter part mattered all that much, except that Lincoln was magical enough to be important. I liked the enemies to lovers, and the strong friendships in the book as well. It did feel like I was missing something to set up the detonation of Rose's engagement but maybe that's just to keep me wondering about a future book? It did feel like most of the ends were tied off, if you're not a fan of cliffhangers.

*copy provided by Netgalley

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. . In a way, I almost felt like this was the middle of a series but once I figured it out I did enjoy the book. it’s not your typical shifter which book and it was very entertaining. I would read the next book in the series. I like Lincoln and I liked Violet. The ending felt a bit rushed to me and It also took a minute for me to get into the book but overall it was an enjoyable read.