With quite a few humorous situations, Olive and Bax go from friends to lovers. However, the development of their relationship was inconsistent. I usually enjoy supernatural romances but this one wasn’t quite up to my expectations. I felt there was something missing, although I can’t quite identify what that was. This can be read as a standalone without any confusion.

This series will live on my shelf for eternity for anytime I need a paranormal romance that will bring me joy. Olivie and Bax are soo good. And let’s not even mention all the piercing. 🤤 and then we throw in the teacher look. I loved it all and so blessed to read the ARC. Can’t wait to buy the hard copy.

This is the third installment in the Supernatural Singles series, focusing on the third triplet of the sisters, Olive. Olive is a studious and shy professor who moves in with her sexy, tattooed and pierced Guardian Angel friend, Bax, when he offers his available room. Olive moves in, and she assigns her class a Dare Docket to go out of their comfort zone, and she decides it’s only fair if she makes one for herself to stretch her own comfort zone. In the midst of this, Bax gets assigned a case at the GAA - to his surprise, it’s his longtime crush and new roomie, Olive.

I enjoyed the romance between Olive and Bax, even if the plot points didn’t always make sense or felt overly convenient. Their chemistry was super hot and I loved it when they were together. Their “pining/angst” phase didn’t do much for me since that already started odd. Bax is super flirty and sexual with Olive from the very beginning, but then would get weird and shy when they had romantic moments? Then go back to winking? They were one of the rare times I preferred them together since that felt the most natural.

I had quite a few gripes with this:
-While I understand that Bax was assigned to Olive as her guardian angel, her “risks” felt so inconsequential and ridiculous. I think having Bax’s job explained better might have mitigated this. It doesn’t feel thought through. His job is to watch people have fun, but not too much fun? Or get injured by accident? I’m confused how this is a legitimate job?
-At the end of the novel, the sisters are all ‘poof’ing around, aka teleporting. If you have this ability, why wouldn’t you at least ‘poof’ to and from work instead of taking the subway? It’s alluded to earlier that it takes a lot of energy, but why not at least poof once to get to work earlier or back home faster? Bax transports her a bit with his wings, but without him, would you be ‘poof’ing?
-I love this world, but I do want to understand more of how it works. The magic wasn’t touched on as much as I’d like - we know Bax can fly and has some heightened senses, but is that all angels have? Olive is a witch, but how does she use her witch powers? It just seems like they “fire” up when she’s overwhelmed/overcome with emotion. The lack of magic in this was underwhelming.
-The exchange ceremony was not explained. Again, we want to know more about this world and how magic works. Show us the ceremony and explain it! Missed opportunity.
-Same with the dancing competition - c’mon!
-My biggest ick was that Bax’s nickname for Olive was “angel”. Not only did he call her that well before they were an item, but why would you nickname anyone “angel” when you’re the literal angel?

I hope Harper gets the next book! I would love to see the sexy succubus get hit by cupid ;)

**Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!**

Thank you @smpromance for the complimentary ebook.

Not Your Crush’s Cauldron is book 3 in the Supernatural Singles series. Here’s a snipped of my review from book 2 which is pretty much the same words I had noted down for this book.

“I loved Rose’s relationships with her friends and her sisters, they were so supportive of each other while calling bullsh*t where necessary. Speaking of her sisters, Olive was my favourite, and I’m hoping there will be a book 3 about her. I would absolutely read it! I recommend this to those who like sweet and super spicy romances, or if you need something to lift your spirits after a heavier read.”

Well I got my book about Olivie! I still adore the sisters’ relationship, and Olive is still my favorite character! This was also a super sweet and spicy read. I’m hoping there will be a book 4 about Harper. FYI – don’t look up Jacob’s Ladder piercings in public, at work, or with kids around. Maybe I’ve been living under a rock and I’m the only person that didn’t know what that is. 😂If you’re looking for a spicy witchy romance this October I highly recommend this series. Definitely read in order though, I read book 2 first and it was a struggle at the start. I think part of the reason I enjoyed this one so much more was because I knew the dynamic and back story already.

For whatever reason, this one really just didn’t work for me. I’m bummed, but I just haven’t been able to get into it.

This was an enjoyable read. It was very low-angst as both liked each other from the beginning. I recommend it if you’re looking for a steamy, low-angst witchy read for October. I’d describe it as a witchy Ali Hazelwood. I would have liked more on how the world worked with the reveal of the supernaturals, but maybe that was in the first book. I think it definitely helps if you read these in order. I picked this up as a standalone and there were lots of references to previous events. But I loved the little life lessons that were imparted as part of the overall story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun paranormal romance that is perfect for the Fall season. This is third in the series and it is definitely recommended to read the first two before diving into this one.

I loved reading Olive’s story. It’s a cute, fast paced read. If you enjoyed other books by April Asher, you’ll like this one too. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The third in a fun series in a light fantasy world with two heartfelt characters and plot that just pull you in.

This is a fun and funny book, that was more angsty than the two previous ones (which isn't my favorite trope/tone personally, but to each their own). I appreciated the development of both main characters - watching both Olive and Bax grow and support each other is very well done and added depth and had me rooting for them the whole book. The world built in these books is one of my favorites so I am always happy to return to it. Not only is the magic and creatures, but the side characters are well done and have nuanced relationships (both with the main characters and each other) that we see grow as well, making each book feel like returning to a group of old friends.

I have loved each book in this series, and while not my favorite I think that this a a great read and still a fun edition to a great series. I hope there are more to follow (despite being out of sisters).

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Olive is a witch set in her ways. She even has a specific Monday outfit to wear to her professor of supernatural studies job at NYU. Her life unexpectedly changes when she accepts the invitation to move into her friend’s apartment. Bax Donovan is a guardian angel with a few strikes against him at work, but he keeps finding himself distracted by Olive.

The witch is inspired by a project she gave her students to step outside of her comfort zone, while Bax is handed his new guardian angel assignment - Olive. The catch? He can’t tell her or, more importantly, fall in love with her. One of those things will be tougher than the other for Bax.

This was…uh…interesting. To its credit, I did feel compelled to keep reading. To its detriment, I had to take a lot of pauses because of how deeply cringe so many aspects of this book were. I hate pet names in books, especially when they are incredibly over-used - and ‘angel’ was. I thought the ‘hero’ character was forced and unlikable. I also had to read the phrase ‘bejeweled penis’ and for me, that was enough.

Olive and Bax are friends. Roommates. She is a witch and he is a guardian Angel. What she doesn’t know is he is tasked with protecting her just as she decides it’s time to try some new things. Like Bax.

He’s not supposed to get involved with a charge, especially a roommate but sometimes rules are meant to be broken.

This is the third book in a series about a trio of witch sisters and I very much enjoined myself. It was cute. It was fun. It was hot. All I ask for in a supernatural romantic comedy.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC.

Not Your Crush’s Cauldron by April Asher
My rating:
4/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the third installment in the Supernatural Singles series that tells Olive’s story.

Bax, Olive’s new roommate and friend is assigned to be Olive’s guardian and to keep her away from harm. The problem is, he can’t tell her that he is her guardian. Bax is developing feelings for her, which is also against the rules.

This was so cute and the perfect light hearted spooky season read! I had read Not Your Ex’s Hexes last year around this time and when I saw the next one was available I was so excited to read it!

I love getting to know more about the Maxwell sisters as they try to navigate their careers and love life in the supernatural world.

I didn’t see a crazy conflict in this one where she would need a Guardian Angel, but I loved reading about their connection!

If you haven’t read any other ones in this series, you can read this as a stand alone, but I recommend reading the other ones because they are spicy, cute and funny!

Thank you netgalley for the ARC! This will be published on February 13th, 2024 so add it to your TBR for a fun Valentine’s Day read!

Just as cute as the first two! i want more! This is such an adorable rom com series with the perfect amount of spooky supernatural vibes. It reminds me of all my favorite shows (vampire diaries, buffy, supernatural, charmed etc) combined! And I think Donovan might be my favorite so far…..

Not Your Crush’s Cauldron by April Asher is perfect for spooky season or anytime you want a little extra magic in your life! I was hooked at magic hair, coven, and handsome Viking magician! There’s something for everyone including a bit of time travel!

Closer to 3.5 stars.

The storyline is great and the world building is wonderful. I can imagine being in a world where supernatural beings came out of hiding and functioned within society with their own rules and governance.

Asher's descriptive writing involving character interaction leaves something to be desired, though. Half the phrases don't even make sense and are repeated ad nauseum - "she placed her thumb on his lips" (who does that?), "he moved forward until their toes touched" (sounds uncomfortable and unrealistic), "he did that sexy thing guys did by pulling his shirt over his head" (some variation of this for every sex scene), etc. It throws the storytelling off.

A+ for cute characters and the HEA.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy for review. All opinions are my own.

<b> Thank you to April Asher, St Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. </b>

As the third of the Maxwell triplets, Olive finally gets her man in this cute friends-to-roommates-to-lovers story. Professor Olive has always been the quiet bookish sibling, and in an attempt to finally make her own mark on the world, she proposes that her school allow supernatural students to do an exchange program within different factions of the supernatural community. To prove the validity and necessity of such a program she assigns her students a 10-point "get out of your comfort zone" assignment - which she decides to do herself. Bax, who is unhappy in his guardian angel position, is assigned to Olive when she suddenly starts behaving outside of the norm (and being the triplet of the soon-to-be most powerful Witch on earth this clearly warrants a bodyguard). And while Bax discloses that he and Olive have been friends for years and are in fact now roommates, he negates to mention that he's also been in love with her for a long time, when he takes on his bodyguarding assignment. The question that remains is can Bax keep Olive safe while letting her explore her wilder side? And will Olives new sense of adventure push Bax out of his own comfort zone?

For fans of supernatural romances, bad-boy angel/bodyguard, and friends-to-lovers tropes this is a really enjoyable and fun read. It's filled with brazen side characters, quippy banter, and unique locations (like arial trapsee classes). It's the perfect fall read for a cozy weekend.

Stars 3/5. Steam 3/5.

It's okay to steer away from the path that others have set for you ... Just make sure you have good off-roading tires for the trip.
~
I will never ever get enough of the Supernatural Singles world, truly. I loved Violet and Rose for their own reasons, but Olive’s story was like a breath of fresh air. I absolutely loved seeing Olive slowly and I apologetically start to come out of her shell in this one, and not just because of Bax, but because of her sisters, her grandmother, and most importantly, herself. The even cooler thing here was that Bax was not a random supernatural but someone in the core friend group of the Maxwell sisters and seeing the blossoming of feelings for both him and Olive on the journey throughout the book was magical. And I did adore the scenes with girl talk AND the guy talk scenes just as much! The obstacles in this one felt different to me than the ones Rose and Vi had to deal with, but in a good and soft way, and I thought this was absolutely perfect for Olive with how it played out. And my my my, can this witch and Angel get frisky. Did I mention we get a “good girl?” This is truly a comfort series and if you’ve yet to pick up one of April’s books, there’s nothing wrong with starting here, a book about a book-loving, introverted witch and a tattooed, bad boy angel, right?

Time for yet another adorable installment of the Supernatural Singles! I had a good time with this book, and this whole series has been fun.

Olive Maxwell is the third triplet. She's the quiet, studious one, but things are about to get shaken up when she moves in with Guardian Angel Bax. Bax is the strong, silent type, but he is captivated with Olive. When an opportunity comes up for Olive to step out of her comfort zone and Bax gets the secret assignment of protecting her, their relationship moves from friendship to something more.

These two have had some relationship tension build up in the past two books, and I think you miss some of their connection if you don't read the previous books. They are very cute together, and have a lot of chemistry. I liked the story line of Olive challenging herself to step out of her comfortable bubble, but I thought the angle of Bax being her Guardian was a bit weaker. I wish there had been some element of danger besides sledding down a hill to make that part of the story believable. Overall, this was a fun journey to take with the two of them. I also thought the third act drama was well done without being too overwrought. I'm thinking there might be a fourth installment in this series because there was a lot of dialogue between some side characters that could be developed into a story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced e-book in exchange for my honest review!

This was a cute, fun, witchy rom-com. Loved the mix of Bax's golden retriever/bad boy energy, and the dynamic between the sisters. I didn't look too closely at the conflict as it didn't seem fleshed out and some of the romance was inconsistent, but I enjoyed this one just like the previous two!

This friends to lovers was full of banter and tension that had me begging for more. Bax and Olive were perfect for each other and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them realize it.

If you enjoy friends to lovers, banter, sexual tension to the max, and the warm fuzzy feels then this book is for you.