I hope this isn't the end of the series! I know all the sisters are officially done but Harper needs a story, and honestly, I just want a story that features all of the, alternating chapters, whatever the author will give us. I'm obsessed.



I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

3.25 stars. This was an okay read for me. Not Your Crush's Cauldron is the third book in the series and is Olive and Bax's book. Olive escapes a bad roommate situation to move into her friend Bax's apartment. They are not friends who know each other extremely well, but Bax's best friends are the boyfriends of Olive's co-triplet sisters. Olive is a witch and Bax is a guardian angel. They both have an attraction to each other. But Bax receives a guardian assignment for Olive, which means her life may be at risk for some reason and that she is off limits to him romantically. He isn't allowed to tell her of his assignment but he spends lots of time with her, secretly trying to keep her safe. They fall for each other along the way. But what will happen when Olive finds out she was an assignment?

This story itself was cute. But something about this book made it a slog to get through. Bax was cute and adored Olive. She, herself, was fine but nothing special. But the book was a little slow and felt like it was missing something. Despite the cute story and characters, it just felt meh overall.

Overall, I have enjoyed this series in general, but the books never quite get past the "not bad" point for me. Maybe I just don't gel with the author's writing style, because I do like the story lines. Still, I may try her books again. It seems like there is room for more books written in this world and I like the paranormal aspects. So I will probably read those as well.

I really just love this trilogy so much. It has magic but is not high stress. It has spice, and love, and beautiful messages of growth. These books have so much personality and I look forward to every one that comes out. Following the last Maxwell triplet in her adventures was a delight and I’m really curious if we will get a Harper spin off! April Asher’s writing style is a delight and I’m excited for whatever she has planned next.

Olive Maxwell plays it safe in every aspect of her life. She is a professor teaching about the Supernatural world, and is trying to launch an exchange program for more supernatural cooperation. She has assigned her students to try and get out of their comfort zones, and not wanting to look like a hypocrite she decides to join them in trying new things.

In comes Bax Donovan. A motorcycle riding, tattooed guardian angel. Bax and Olive have been friends for a long time and there has always been a spark between them. When Olive needs a place to live he offers up his spare room. Bax is on his last chance at work, after one too many mishaps guarding people. With Olive trying new things and get herself in danger, he is given one last chance and assigned to guard her. Only she isn't allowed to know, and he is not allowed to fall in love with her which proves to be very difficult as that shipped has log since sailed.

This was a fun time, and it made me smile and laugh a lot. The chemistry between the characters was there, and I loved them together. The book didn't do anything special, or make me feel any grand emotion but it was a nice entertaining book to read

I loved the first book and enjoyed the second book but unfortunately this one wasn't for me. The characters frustrated me and it just didn't have the same magic of the other books.

I love this series and have absolutely enjoyed getting to see each Maxwell sister find her soul mate. The progression of the love story between Bax and Olive was incredible. I hope there is at least one more book in this series as I would love to see Harper find love despite her believing she doesn’t want it.

This was another fantastic romance! I've been loving getting these stories of the Maxwell Triplets! They are all different people, and have different romances, and I've loved each one! They're all exploring different parts of this world, and I love it!

Olive is a very structured person, she has outfits of the days, she loves research, and she's firmly in her comfort zone. Which is pretty much the opposite of her proposed program for the school, for a cultural exchange of students, because the change of when the supernatural's came out, people still have to learn and grow and change, it can't drop off!

Really, Bax was in a dilemma. He had a bad record, he's broken most of the rules but one-not falling in love with an assignment. So of course getting Olive, who he did have a crush on, and now lives with, yeah, that wasn't the best idea, but there weren't any good options open to him. The fact that he didn't enjoy his job, it wasn't his passion, added a layer to everything going on. But it was so cute to watch them work on her Dare I Docket!

One thing that I loved, is that there is the miscommunication trope in this book. But it's not one-sided to rectify it, they both try to fix things, and that just made that ending all the more happier, that they both worked on their relationship!

This was a wonderful read, and if there is more in this series, I'll definitely read it!

I just love all of the April Asher books that I've read so far! This series has been magical. I love all of the characters, and am endlessly entertained by all of their situations. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book.

Olive and Bax have been friends for a long time. He even invited her to live with him when she needed a place to stay. They also have had crushes on each other but have been afraid to do anything.
When Olive starts a new project at work, she writes a list of items to get her out of her comfort zone. That's when Bax is assigned to her as a Guardian Angel. Something on that list has put her in need of an angel, and Bax is more than happy to step up.
Opinion
This is an absolutely fun series. Both witty and funny, the best part is the strong bond between sisters. I think this book may have been my favorite in the series. Something about crossing off items on a list that gets you out of your comfort zone just calls to me. (Am I willing to do this? That remains to be seen.) Throughout the series, I have fallen in love with Asher's writing style and I surely hope this is not the end of the Supernatural Singles series.
I listened to the audio and could not have been more consumed in the book. I read along but the nuances in the narrators speaking added more depth to what I read/heard. I highly recommend the audio version.
Many thanks to Net Galley, St. Martins Press and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an ARC of the book and audiobook.

This was my first read by April Asher and I don’t know what took me so long! I loved her writing and this found family of characters she has created in the Supernatural Singles series.

In the surface bookish Olive and tattooed Bax don’t appear to have anything in common. But when these friends move in together in Bax’s NYC apartment, sparks start to fly. And not just from Olive’s hands!

I thought the relationship between Bax and Olive developed at a good pace and was surprised by the heat between them (and some of Bax’s piercings!). The dual POV worked well for the story and came in especially handy during that third-act misunderstanding. Also, don’t let the cartoon cover fool you, this romance is very much open door. 😉

I will definitely be going back and reading books one and two in the series! You can enjoy Not Your Crush’s Cauldron as a standalone but if you want to learn about Olive’s sisters start with book one.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and April Asher for an early copy. These are my honest thoughts.

I voluntarily agreed to read and honestly review this book.
Another fun Supernatural Singles story from April Asher! This time we get to read about Witch-Triplet Olive Maxwell. And the male MC, Baxter Donovan, is a Guardian Angel. I laughed and giggled my way through this book. And, I may have growled a little when reading the parts involving Mikael Donovan, Bax’s father. All in all, this was a great, and fun, read for those moments when I needed a break from Real Life.

A cute conclusion to the Maxwell sister's stories! I loved Olive's "Dare I Docket" and how we got to see her come out of her shell. I loved the banter between her and Bax. I also really enjoyed seeing the characters from previous books. I am docking one star because of how much the phrase "angel mange" was mentioned.
Thank you Netgalley and St.Martin's Griffin. for the ARC!

I have chosen to withhold my review of Not Your Crush’s Cauldron by April Asher in accordance with the marketing boycott of reviewing and platforming titles published under St. Martin’s Press and associated imprints. As a company, St. Martin’s Press has yet to meaningfully acknowledge and address the harm caused by a marketing employee who perpetuated Islamophobic sentiments against those of Palestinian descent specifically, and has a documented history of discriminating against readers of Arab heritage in general. As a reader, I refuse to participate, even passively, in perpetuating harm against my fellow readers in an activity all should be able to enjoy.

Once action is taken by St. Martin’s Press as a company to address the harm caused and how they will be dedicated to a decisive plan of action to address needs for diversity, equity and inclusion, I will upload my review of Not Your Crush’s Cauldron by April Asher.

Thank you @netgalley and @novelsbyapril for an ARC of this book! 🖤

Review:

I really love this series y’all! This is the third book in the series and it’s just as fun, sweet, fluffy, sassy, and steamy as the other two.

I absolutely love Bax (MMC) and Olive (FMC). I usually don’t care much for friends to lovers, but their chemistry and banter is just too cute. I love how the other characters from the first two books are involved in this book as well. The family and friend dynamics are just as touching and funny as before.

I’m sad that this series is coming to an end, but it’s been such a fun ride. I can’t wait to see what other books this author puts out! She’s definitely a must read author for me. 🖤

Posted: on instagram @the_librarian_momma and on Goodreads at Kendra Corey

🌶️🌶️

Oh my gosh, April Asher absolutely knocked it out of the park with the third book in this series. I have added new saying to my repertoire like instead of sweet Jesus I will say sweet baby vampire kittens and instead of butterflies in my stomach they will now be overly caffeinated pterodactyls. Between 🍆 piercings (among others) and the tension that has been brewing between these two the whole series, the spicy scenes were on point. I absolutely loved this book!

❤️ Tropes ❤️
💋 paranormal romance
💋 secret cinnamon roll
💋 opposites attract
💋 fated mates

Olive loves nothing more than to research and read books, but realized her life is in a rut. So she decides to complete the assignment she gave her student: the Do I Docket. A list of ten items to complete that push her boundaries. But it seems to be pushing her right into her broody, grumpy, tattooed, and pierced angel roommate. It shouldn’t have been an issue because his Guardian Angel duties take him everywhere and take up all of his time, but suddenly he is there all the time. Maybe it was the homewarming present she got when she moved in. He did catch her with a vibrating toy flailing all over before she could figure out how to turn it off…

Important things you need to know about Not Your Crush’s Cauldron:

Pace: Medium

POV: 3rd person (Olive and Bax).

Trigger Warnings: There are no trigger warnings in Not Your Crush’s Cauldron.

Language: There is moderate swearing in Not Your Crush’s Cauldron. There is also language used that might offend some people.

Setting: Not Your Crush’s Cauldron is set in New York City.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Olive is the youngest of the Maxwell triplets. After watching her sisters find true love and their true purpose in their lives (one is the Prima-Apparent and the other is a Bounty Hunter in Training), she is content to teach magic at her local college. But, when she assigns her students an assignment intended to make them go outside their comfort zone, she decides to do it with them. The first thing on her list is moving in with Bax, her longtime crush and friend.

Bax is a guardian angel who isn’t very good at his job. His record has more black marks than any other angels in the department. To keep his career, Bax is given a low-risk assignment. To his shock, his assignment is Olive. What Bax wasn’t counting on was Olive trying things outside her comfort zone. He soon begins accompanying her on different outings and fighting his growing attraction to her. One of the three rules of his department is not to get involved with their charge.

As Olive and Bax spend more time together, their attraction grows. But with Olive being Bax’s charge, he cannot make a move on her. Will Olive push Bax out of his comfort zone? Will Bax be able to control his feelings for Olive until his assignment is over? Or will he risk losing his wings for her?

Characters:

Olive Maxwell and Bax Donovan are the main characters in Not Your Crush’s Cauldron. Having been introduced to Olive in the previous book (I haven’t read the entire series, just book 2), I did think that she was pretty mellow and less low-key than her sisters. I felt there was nothing wrong with playing it safe, having outfits for certain days of the week, or having schedules for everything. That’s how she liked her life. I got grumpy during the college party scene where she overheard unkind remarks about her. But, it did get her thinking, and she decided to join the assignment with her students. Bax joining her was an enjoyable addition to the list.

Bax Donovan was an interesting character for me to read. At first, I thought I had him pegged as a slightly bad Guardian Angel who only went through the motions at his job. And I was partially right about that. Bax didn’t exactly put himself out there with his charges (the gargoyle wing scene did make me laugh and wince). But the more I read about him, the more I understood him. He liked Olive and maybe loved her early on in the book. But he had to put aside those feelings when assigned her (because of the rules). On top of that, he had to deal with a father who was borderline mentally and emotionally abusive to him. It was a lot, and he tended to deal with that by shutting down and internalizing it.

The characters from the other books do make an appearance in this one. I loved that they didn’t overtake Bax and Olive’s story. Instead, they added depth to the main storyline. There was one character (Harper) who I would love to see a book about. There were sparks between her and a certain werewolf, and I need to see if that will go anywhere (I hope!!)

My review:

I was excited when I got the widget for Not Your Crush’s Cauldron. I had enjoyed reading the previous book (Not Your Exes Hexes) and planned to read this one if/when it went on KU. So, to say I was excited is an understatement. I couldn’t wait to read this book.

The main storyline of Not Your Crush’s Cauldron centers around Olive and Bax, their romance, Bax’s assignment, Olive’s assignment, and Olive’s attempt to push her limits. It was a well-written, funny, and very hot storyline. I did get sad in spots because of different things that were brought up as the book went on. Examples are:

Bax’s father (who I couldn’t stand).
Olive’s fear of living outside her comfort zone.
The guardian angel conundrum.
But don’t let that stop you from reading this book!! The author interwove those themes throughout the book with tact.

The romance angle of the book was scorching hot. Now, the author did wait to have Olive and Bax have sex until well past the middle of the book. But, by then, the sexual tension had built up, and when they did have sex, it was explosive. I was surprised by Bax’s piercings (an angel with penile and nipple piercings?!?). I should have been because it was talked about up to them having sex. And, of course, the makeup sex was perfect (because each romance novel has hot makeup sex).

I loved the fantasy angle, too. The author did a great job creating a universe where all supernatural beings were out and accepted. The magic was used casually and wasn’t over the top. Even Bax’s guardian angel status (wings included) was treated normally. I loved it!!!

Several secondary storylines involved Olive’s sisters that were interwoven into her storyline. Instead of taking over (and I was afraid they would), the author kept them in the background. Each was wrapped up by the end of the book.

I do want to touch on Bax’s storyline with his father. Michael, his father, was a vast douchecanoe. I couldn’t believe what he said to Olive (at the college party or the Guardian Angels headquarters). He was such an asshat that he went out of his way to try and get Bax fired. Why? Because he couldn’t deal with his son being a guardian angel instead of a warrior. I did like how both Bax and Olive dealt with him. But I do wish that there was a resolution to that storyline. It was the only one that was left up in the air.

The end of Not Your Crush’s Cauldron was perfect. I loved how the author wrapped up Bax and Olive’s love story. I liked that Olive came to her senses and understood why Bax couldn’t tell her about his assignment. And I appreciated that Bax gave her space to do so. I hope there will be a book 4 (as mentioned at the top of this review). I would love to see Harper get her HEA.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and April Asher for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Not Your Crush’s Cauldron. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

I wasn't able to read this book because life has been extremely busy, so I will rate this 5 stars to compensate. The blurb looked very promising though, and I will read this when I get the chance and I will edit my review

I read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was book three in the series and it was exactly what it should've been. Fun , flirty and family orientated. I can't say too much besides that.
I liked that Bax was different and a bit of a rebel. I liked Bax and Olive together. They were a good match. It was good to see the characters from the previous books and be in that world again. I'm assuming Harper is next, so that'll be fun ;)

Before I share my thoughts, I want to let anyone reading this review know that romantic witch trope stories rarely work for me. So whatever my feelings might be, give the story a chance, and don't go off my opinion alone. I read 2/3rds of the story and then eventually found myself hate reading, so I stopped. I felt the author might have something going on in time, but right now I am just not feeling it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the opportunity to review Not Your Crush's Cauldron. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5/5 stars

I didn’t love this as much as the first two books. Mostly because Bax being Olive’s guardian angel didn’t really make any sense to me.

I think if it would’ve been explained what the parameters for needing a guardian angel were then it might have made more sense to me.

None of the stuff on her docket list was bad or life-threatening, so I really did not get this at all and I had a hard time getting past it.

I hope this isn’t the end of the series because I really need a Harper and Adrian book.