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.

This is the third book in a trilogy (series?) about what the world would be like if supernatural beings were part of regular society. It is set in NYC and this book is about the youngest triplet of the Maxwell’s, Olive. She is a college professor at NYU in the Supernatural Studies department and is applying for a grant to help supernaturals understand other types of supernaturals. At the same time she is reluctantly moving into her friend Bax’s spare room because her previous roommate had made their place unsafe. These books are fun quick reads and I hope that there will be a book for Harper.

3.5/5 Stars

I had a fun time reading this book. It was light and fluffy. I really loved the banter and chemistry between Olive and Bax. It was fantastic and had me smiling every time I read moments between these two. Honestly, if magic, witches, angels, etc weren't mentioned so often in this book, I would've thought this was a general contemporary romance. So it's super light in the magic usage. This is a great pallet cleanser book to break up other heavy reading. I absolutely recommend giving this a read and hope that you swoon over it as I did.

Bummed as I just did not enjoy this :(

I loved book 1 and really liked book 2... but this one was just, boring? The plot didn't grab me at all and while the relationship between Baz and Olive was sweet, that's all I can really say?

Low angst, witchy romcom is my best way to describe this and hopefully it will work for others!

I've enjoyed reading how the Maxwell triplets have found their forever mates. This is Olive's story. Olive is predictable and rarely leaves her bubble. She wears the same clothes, eats the same foods and rarely dates. She teaches at NYU and she gave her students an assignment about stepping outside their comfort zone. Little did she know this was going to shake her world up. Baxter Donovan is a guardian angel and will soon be the roommate to Olive. Being a guardian leaves you with little free time and no time for relationships. He is going to help her with her list and in the process is dealing with things of his own. In the end, Baxter figures out what he wants, what brings him joy. Olive gets reprimanded by Grandma. With the help of her sisters and Harper, Olive finds Baxter. Such a worthy HEA.

The supernatural singles series is just so fun! I loved the first 2 books and this was no exception.

I think Bax and Ollie are so cute together. They are friends and each have a crush on the other but believe their feelings are one sided. So there's quite a bit of pining on both sides before they get together. I love this kind of set up, so I was immediately hooked. Bax occasionally infuriated me with some toxic macho man moments, but Ollie made it clear she wasn't ok with that behavior each time.

During the climax, I really love that the other guys supported Bax but also were clear that he was in the wrong and they would have a problem if he couldn't see that. I think that's what actual friendships look like and sometimes male friendships are lacking that accountability.

I would definitely recommend this book if you enjoyed the first two in the series. Also if you enjoy lighthearted romances, strong female MCs, friends to lovers, and/or forced proximity. And you could read as a stand alone if you really wanted to, but you definitely lose some backstory on the other characters.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Olive is a teacher and a witch and is excited to move into her new apartment because she’s sharing it with her crush, the hottest, tattooed, motorcycle riding Guardian Angel in town, Bax.
She loves teaching, but when she decides to do the same assignment she’s given her students, she’s put on the Guardian watch list and Bax is assigned to her. Olive has a “Dare I Do It” list that has some scary items on it, things out of her comfort zone that could get her injured or worse.
Bax has black marks on his record, but being assigned to Olive puts him at risk of breaking Rule #3 - don’t fall in love with your assignment. If he breaks that rule, his career as a Guardian is over.
Can Bax protect Olivia without tanking his career?
This is a fun paranormal romance with great characters, 4 stars.

Thanks to St. Martin’s and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

Olive Maxwell is the youngest witchy triplet, the one who lives a life of order and research that sets her apart from her sisters' hectic lives, and she's happy to be that way. Until an assignment she gives her students leads her to realize that she would benefit from breaking out of her comfort zone. And her Guardian Angel roommate is all set to help her tick things off her list.
Bax Donovan is a reluctant Guardian Angel who offers his home to Olive when she needs a safe place to stay without realizing that it would put her too close to avoid the temptation she presents. Then she sets off on a plan to get out of her comfort zone just as she becomes his latest assignment, and things are about to get hot and complicated in the best possible way.
The world of Supernatural Singles is complex in a wonderfully chaotic way that asks you to put away your doubts and just enjoy the ride. Olive and Bax are wonderful characters who are a delight to follow around as they both face things they're afraid of in a quest to find their better selves. That they're surrounded by a wonderfully caring group of friends and loved ones willing to offer support and throw hands when needed makes their story even better.
My one peeve is that it sometimes gets a little hokey and silly in the dialogue, but I get that that's an artistic choice that others might enjoy more than me.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the wonderfully witchy read!

Not Your Crush's Cauldron
Book 3 of the "Supernatural Singles"
Rating: 5 star
ARC provided by Netgalley for review. All opinions are my own.

This was such a sweet story!! I'm usually not a fan of the friends to lovers trope, but this one did work for me. I guess because Bax was such a grumpy, but sweet cinnamon roll with Olive. I loved their banter between them and it was so much fun watching them pine for each other.

Not Your Crush’s Cauldron
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: April Asher

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Dreamscape Media and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Olive Maxwell much prefers teaching about the Supernatural world to taking part in it and leaves the magical shenanigans to her two sisters. After assigning her college students a project designed to nudge them outside their comfort zones, Olive realizes she’s never once stepped a toe out of her own—and it’s about time that changed.

Her first trip into the unknown? Moving in with her longtime crush and friend: tattooed, motorcycle-riding, and pleasantly pierced Baxter Donovan.

Bax Donovan, Guardian Angel not-so-extraordinaire, has acquired so many black marks on his record it looks like a Scantron test. He’s been given one last chance to keep his Guardian wings, a high-profile Assignment he knows all too well. Olive is usually as low-risk as it gets. Hell, she wrote the safety manual.

But something landed her on the Guardian Angel Affairs radar, and he guesses it has something to do with the heart-pounding stunts she’s determined to check off her Dare I Docket list. Keeping Olive out of trouble is about to be his toughest Assignment. He’s at real risk of shattering the only Guardian Angel code of conduct rule he’s yet to break: don’t fall in love with your Assignment. And he isn’t so sure that’s a bad thing.

My Thoughts: This book published yesterday. This is the third book in the Supernatural Singles series and I was so excited to see how the third Maxwell sister ended up and I was not disappointed. I typically do not like paranormal romance or fantasy, but I love Asher’s books and will dive right into the supernatural world. We were introduced to these characters in the first book. Even though this is a series, it could be read as a standalone, as the author does a great job with details. Olive is the quieter of the Maxwell sisters and is stuck in order and routine, until she moves in with her longtime crush and friend, Baxter Donovan, also the local guardian angel. Bax has a lot of “black marks” on his record and has been given a last ditch assignment, one he knows very well, Olive. Olive doesn’t take risks, until she decides to embark on Dare I Docket List, just like her students are doing. Bax has to go above and beyond to keep Olive out of trouble. Bax, himself, is at high risk of shattering the only rule he has not broken, falling in love with his assignment. Although Bax has secretly crushed after Olive for years. Follows the tropes of friends to lovers, paranormal romance, forced proximity and found family.

The story is narrated by both Olive and Baxter, through their POV. The author does an amazing job with the plus size representation. I loved the continuation of the character development from prior books. This supernatural family is superb! Olive is shy, introverted, compassionate, and is loyal to those she loves. Bax is charming, sexy, a bit introverted, and has a bad boy persona. The characters were well developed with depth, witty banter, hot chemistry, endearing, and intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, funny, steamy, heartwarming, and just beautiful. The supporting characters, including the Maxwell sisters, their partners, and their grandmother really elevates this story. I instantly fell in love with Olive and Bax and rooted for their HEA, they really deserved one. The author did a great job with continue world building in this third installment. Bring me all of the witches and demons. I loved the message that this book brought, to try new things, to step out of your comfort zone, while still staying true to who you are, while embracing all of life’s challenges. The one thing that I missed with this installment was the lack of magic, there was some, just not as much as the first two books.

I adored this story. It was sweet, fun, endearing, lighthearted, and heartfelt. While this is the conclusion on the sisters, I really hope that Harper gets a book. I highly recommend this book, and the entire series!

This was a fun addition to a great paranormal romance series. I liked the exploration of comfort zones and what it means to stretch those boundaries. I’ve been waiting for Olive and Bax to get together ever since I first read Not the Witch You Wed, and these two did not disappoint. It was intriguing to see Bax in his role as a guardian angel, especially considering the weird dynamic he has with his dad.

As with the previous books, I really love the friend group both main characters are in and the support they all give to each other. It’s an interesting mix of both found and biological family.

The audiobook is narrated by Zura Johnson. I enjoyed her performance and the way she brought Olive, Bax, and their crazy friend group to life.

Bonus points for fun chapter titles!

Note: This is the third book in the Supernatural Singles series. Each book is a standalone following a different couple, but it’s still a good idea to read them in order.

Not my favorite of the series, but certainly an entertaining friends to lovers story. A unique pairing of supernatural creatures and satisfying drop ins from previous book's characters.

I absolutely adored “Not Your Crush’s Cauldron”! This book is a delightful blend of pining, angst, and heartwarming moments that had me hooked from the start. Olive and Bax’s dynamic is electric, with their chemistry leaping off the pages. Olive’s determination to step out of her comfort zone and Bax’s struggle to balance his duties as a Guardian Angel with his growing feelings for Olive make for a compelling and romantic story. The witty banter between the characters, especially Olive and Bax, adds a layer of charm that keeps you smiling throughout. The supporting characters, like Olive’s sisters and Harper, are equally engaging and leave you eager for more. Overall, “Not Your Crush’s Cauldron” is a must-read for fans of the Supernatural Singles series, and I can’t wait to see what April Asher has in store next!