A magical sapphic romance full of heart, witchcraft, and the emotions of discovering who you are. I picked this one up for the beautiful cover and fell even more in love with the depth of the characters and beautifully woven story. Highly recommend to romance and fantasy lovers alike!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Love and Other Wicked Things is Philline Harms' sophomore novel that follows Earth witch Rhia, who has lived in Oakriver in a house with three generations of witches her entire life, and new-to-town witch Valerie, who is looking for answers about her mother’s disappearance from Oakriver seventeen years ago. Rhia tries to keep magic hidden while Valerie uses hers without a care. As Valerie gets tangled up further into darkness, Rhia has to harness her power to save the town and the girl she loves.

Philline's writing has come a long way from Never Kiss Your Roommate. Though, I absolutely loved that book too. The writing is more descriptive in Love and Other Wicked Things. It's more atmospheric with it's cozy murder mystery pumpkin spice (more of the tea variety here) witchy Autumn vibes. If Fall was a book it would be this one. The perfect read for Spooky Szn and fans of Hocus Pocus.

Philline Harms is quickly becoming an auto buy author for me. I wish more people would pick their books up.


***Thank you to Netgalley and Wattpad for providing me with a review copy.***

(ENG) A super nice book, with autumn vibes, witches and a very good plot.

The first thing I would like to highlight is the author's pen: the novel is very well written and allows you to imagine everything that is happening. The environment and the town in which the story is set seems beautiful to me and I would love to live there.

The protagonists were well constructed and I managed to get attached to both of them, their personalities are so different but at the same time they fit so well with each other that it makes me love them a lot. Although at first I imagined that their relationship was going to start with both of them hating each other, this only happens for a moment. They make a beautiful couple and complement each other perfectly.

The plot and magic system were very well constructed and, although the story was somewhat predictable at times, it was well carried out. In addition, it has several phrases that touch your soul and reflect on who we really are.

Lastly, I would love to thank NetGallery for the copy of the book and for the opportunity to read this wonderful story.

(ESP) Un libro súper bonito, con vibraciones otoñales, brujas y una muy buena trama.

Lo primero que me gustaría destacar es la pluma de la autora: la novela está muy bien escrita y permite que imagines todo lo que está sucediendo. El ambiente y el pueblo en el que se ambienta la historia me parece preciosa y me encantaría vivir allí.

Las protagonistas estuvieron bien construidas y logré encariñarme con ambas, sus personalidades son tan diferentes pero a la vez encajan tan bien la una con la otra que me hace quererlas mucho. Si bien al principio me imaginaba que su relación iba a empezar con ambas odiándose, esto sucede sólo un momento. Hacen una pareja hermosa y se complementan a la perfección.

La trama y el sistema de magia estuvieron muy bien construidos y, aunque la historia fue algo predecible en ciertas ocasiones, estuvo bien llevada a cabo. Además, tiene varias frases que te llegan al alma y tiene una reflexión sobre quienes somos realmente.

Por último, me encantaría agradecerle a NetGallery por la copia del libro y por la oportunidad de leer esta maravillosa historia.

I received this book for free for an honest unbiased review from Netgalley.

I wish more books were this well written. Characters were witty and the setting fantastic.

Love and Other Wicked Things is a magical and rich story of family, witchcraft and of course, love. Right out the gate I would just like to mention that as a witch myself, I always have critiques when it comes to magic and witchcraft being represented in books. The magic in this book is an interesting blend of real world magic and the more fictional magic (like elemental powers and what not). Because it’s this blend of real and fictional, it irked me a little bit to see some misinformation about real world magic. First of all, tarot does not require you to cast a circle of protection at all, in fact most forms of divination don’t require it. Tarot doesn’t open you up to the spirit world, *unless that is your intention*. Tarot is not dangerous at all, and definitely not in the way it was presented in the book. Circle casting something a lot of witches don’t feel is necessary unless it’s a big ritual or spell. And secondly, the three fold rule is a specifically Wiccan rule, and most non Wiccan witches do not follow it. It’s one of those things where it really only applies if you believe in it. Don’t believe in it? Then it won’t have any effect on you. Plus Wicca is also a religion, not just a magical practice, so the three fold rule is a religious rule. All that being said, I loved the way more ‘mundane’ magic was shown in the novel, especially the kitchen and plant witchcraft!
Anyways, now that that’s out of the way, onto the actual contents of the book!
Rhia and Valerie are wonderful characters who could not be more opposite from each other(and opposites attract, right?) Rhia is walled off emotionally and so so careful about everything, and Valerie is devil-may-care and happy go lucky. I think this is why they make such a good couple, they really balance eachother out. I loved how they communicated and worked through their problems. I loved the nonbinary representation in Quinn, and how their how storyline played out! Harms does such a lovely job rounding each character out and giving everyone a satisfying ending. Despite the spooky mystery at the heart of the novel, there was a cozy vibe to the book that had me feeling right at home.
Also, the way family is portrayed in this book was superb. I wish I was a part of Rhia’s family! They were all so wonderfully witchy and magical.
I also really enjoyed the mystery behind Valerie’s mother and her family, and while it was slightly predictable, I overall found it really engaging. 4/5 stars

Love and Other Wicked Things is such a cute, witchy, sapphic tale that perfectly captures the lovely feeling of fall. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy read, especially during October when all the fall references will make you feel so warm and fuzzy inside!

I enjoyed reading this story - it was so charming and welcoming, especially in the first half. Towards the end, though, I thought the pacing was a bit strange.

Talk about sparks flying!

This amazing found family book is a dual POV that follows Rhia, an earth witch and Valerie, a fire witch. They are opposing forces in every way, but drawn to each other like moths to flame. Their chemistry is literally explosive, as they discover more things about each other, themselves, as well as their amazing friends and family. Which this book has such loveable side characters that I adored just as much as Rhia and Valerie. This book not only has great varying sexuality rep, but also some of the best non binary rep I’ve personally read to date. I loved that these characters were pivotal to the plot and we get so much of them as well. It was such a cute, wholesome read, with some fantastic humour. All while still being dark and tugging at your heartstrings.

I would also love to share my favourite quote from the book because it made me cackle: “and baby birds definitely didn’t get their hearts crushed by five-foot-three witches with commitment issues”.

Love and Other Wicked Things by Philline Harms is a mysterious Sapphic Fantasy about two witches destined to be in each other's lives. Rhia is a sweet earth witch who lives with her close knit family and helps the townsfolk in her community with her gifts. When her grandmother warns that a dangerous witch is coming to town. Rhia is determined to avoid the danger, but upon meeting Valerie, said witch, she is more captivated than cautious. Valerie is in town to learn more about her mysterious mother and about her powers. She is a rule breaker and challenges Rhia at every turn. The more the girls discover about Valerie's lineage and the towns shady history, the closer and more dangerous they become. I really enjoyed the magical system in this book and how how the town is built on the secrets of the founding families. The enemies to lovers storyline was well done and I really enjoyed both of the main characters. I thought the end of the book was very fast-paced and adventurous and I really liked how everything wrapped up. This would be an amazing book for people who want a sapphic twist on wishy tails like practical magic or charmed.

Riah Greenbrook grew up in a family of witches. Her specialties are earth and kitchen magic and her baked goods are to die for. In her gap year she's working at Sugar & Spice, the local café. Oakriver is buzzing with magic and whilst she's never been far removed from it, the one thing she really can't do is divination, unlike the rest of her family. When her grandmother predicts the arrival of a new witch in town who will cause chaos, she is advised to stay far away from that particular bit of trouble.
Valerie Morgan is new in town and enrolled at the local college to study art, but that's not the only thing that brought her here: her mother, whom she's never met, is from Oakriver. She desperately hopes to find out some things about her, but in the meantime the cute waitress at Sugar & Spice has caught her eye.
This is a really cute, cozy fall story - I really loved the general plot and the characters, especially Riah. The queer love story was absolutely the show runner on this one and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who's still looking for a witchy fall read that's not too dark or harsh. I'm kind of not too fond of the twist at the end, but I think that just comes down to very personal taste. All in all, this book felt like sipping a warm mug of apple cinammon tea.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

Earth meets fire magic in this cozy and fun same gender loving romance. It fall themed. Readers can make a cup of spice tea or warm up a cup of cider, then cozy up on a coach and read the story. The author handles the interracial aspect of the relationship really well. It isn't a fast romance, it is a one sitting read that will leave you wanting more. I could see this being a Lifetime seasonal movie. Fingers crossed.

I ended up reading this after the release because the double spacing in-between paragraphs was fixed in the published copy. It's a really sweet cosy sapphic fall read. I look forward to reading more by Philline Harms.

"Love and Other Wicked Things" brews up a bewitching blend of sapphic romance and witchy fall vibes that'll have you craving pumpkin spice lattes and love spells. Philline Harms spins a tale of two witches, Rhia and Valerie, whose magnetic connection sparks from the very first page. The mysterious family history adds an extra layer of enchantment, keeping you guessing until the final chapter.

As Rhia navigates her gentle earth magic and Valerie wields her fiery powers with abandon, their journey of self-discovery is beautifully intertwined with their LGBTQIA+ identities. The town of Oakriver comes alive with its secrets, and Harms paints a vivid picture of a place steeped in magic and mystery

must be the season of the witch🍄🍂🔮

Love and Other Wicked Things is a cute, witchy YA modern fantasy full of magic, family traditions, and a fire witch + a green witch that can’t stop struggling with admitting their feelings. There was a perfect mix of romance, humor, and suspense surrounding both Rhia and Valeries’ histories.

Really, my only critique is that it was a bit too drawn out, with most of the action happening at the end of the book. There were a few times where I found myself just skimming through to get to the more interesting parts.

A cute cozy fall witchy read overall 🎃

Thank you NetGalley and Wattpad Books for this arc ✨

If you want to kick off your cozy & spooky season with a great sapphic read, this is it!!

There have been some great sapphic fall releases this year & this is absolutely one of the best.

Highly lovable characters & very easy to get into.

Thank you to the publisher, the author & to NetGalley for the Arc.

This was one of my first autumn-themed books I've read this fall, and it has the perfect autumn vibes. Sapphic witches, autumn and Halloween traditions, family, friendship and romance, what more could you want? This was such an enjoyable, cosy read, full of queer characters, and I thought the romance was so sweet. Highly recommend putting this on your fall TBR!

3.5/5 stars

Sapphic witches? Check
Cozy, queer-normative world? Check
Excellent Fall Vibes? Check

I just wish the representation was done better. It took several pages to figure out that Rhia, the fmc we meet first, is Black. And only because it's mentioned that her sister has box braids in her hair. The only initial indication of the non-binary side character being Asian is their last name, only much later is it mentioned that they are Chinese American. And then there's the way the white fmc is written; in a small town with a Black family of witches, with one of them having pink hair, a Chinese American non-binary side character with blue hair, but it's the white fmc with her bright red hair that stands out and draws stares?

Valerie's family mystery arc felt a little lackluster, the "big" event felt rushed and didn't really do much for me.

But overall it's a great cozy, sapphic fall read with an adorable love between the two fmc's.

An exciting and magical story

Rhia has always lived in Oakriver with all the witches in her family. Dotted with earth magic, she spends a lot of time with plants and keeps her magic a secret. But when Valerie comes into town looking for answers about her mother, everything changes. Without guidance, Valerie doesn't know to hide her powers and practices dangerous fire magic around town. Which really annoys and scares Rhia.

I had a blast reading this book! The characters were relatable and interesting from the start and it was really fun and cute to see them get to know one another despite their bumpy start. Also they are very different, the two girls also share a lot of things and they evolved a lot throughout the story, which I loved. The plot in itself was intriguing, full of magic, mystery and tension that kept me on my toes. The writing was exquisite and very addictive so I couldn't stop reading. I loved the witchy vibes, the Halloween timeline, the magic and, of course, the sapphic romance. This book was a very entretaining and fun read despite the darker themes explored and I'm definitely eager to read more by this author.

I recommend if you like witch stories with romance and magic!

"Because love, next to death, is the ultimate loss of control."

TW: violence, blood, fire, murder, drowning, death, assault

Sweet ya with queer love and a lovely family. the writing is ok, and the characters are likeable. I didn't vibe for it or anything, but for certain kind of readers, it will be the perfect read.

The descriptions and the characters in this book were absolutely a highlight for me. I love a queer witchy moment and this really delivered.! Perfect to read during Halloween season!