Member Reviews

Everything had changed. Everyone evolved. Except her.

If you've been reading the Supernatural Singles series, you've probably been waiting for Maxwell sister Olive and Guardian Angel Bax to finally cut the tension between them and kiss already. If you're new to the series, I'm not sure I'd recommend jumping into this third installment, you'd miss a lot of worldbuilding and character relationships. In this New York City world, a Supernatural reveal has happened and the witches, vampires, demons, shifters, angels, and any other supernatural creature you can think of exists out in the open with humans. The series has, so far, focused on triplet witches, the Maxwell sisters. With her two other sisters already finding love, Olive is feeling stagnate in her job as a professor and in her social life, and when her roommate goes on a campaign of sleeping with every strange man she meets, Bax, her “just a” friend offers up his apartment for her to move into. This brings her into close quarters with the angel and puts strain on keeping her less than friendly thoughts about him to herself, especially when he decides to join in and help her with a Dare I Docket list.

To date, he’d now broken two of the three central—and most important—GAA Rules of Conduct. The first: Don’t tell your Assignment that you’re their designated Guardian. The second: Don’t get your Assignment killed. The third, which he’d yet to break and had no intention of doing so: Don’t fall in love with your Assignment.

Bax has his own feelings about Olive he's trying to fight and when he gets her as a Guardian Angel assignment, she becomes even more off limits. A huge disappointment to his Warrior father, Bax doesn't want to fail at being a Guardian angel but he also hates keeping it a secret that he's been assigned to be Olive's protector as she decides to check off her Dare I list of activities. These two did have some cute chemistry between them but this was a story that seemed to have a lot of little additives that ultimately ended up stealing some of their spotlight for me. Olive's sister is dealing with becoming the next Prima (head witch) and the issues and drama surrounding that, especially when their grandmother and former Prima goes off on her own, kind of butted into the story. Characters showing up that normally I would feel connected our two mains to the existing world ended up annoying me; Harper's (demon friend of theirs) constant focus on turning anything and everything into a sexual innuendo or making it about sex just really got old for me.

“You’re gorgeous,” she heard herself blurt out. “I mean . . . your wings are gorgeous. They’re beautiful.”
His lips twitched in enjoyment of the moment. “Just my wings?”
“Please. You know you could grace the cover of any angel romance book and light imaginations across the globe.”
“Do I light up your imagination?”

Along with Olive trying to learn to be less rigid, Bax had to work out how he was going to live his life on his own terms, instead of thinking about what his father might want. It gets revealed that he's a talented artist and him learning to embrace that side of himself and chose what he wants out of life was his journey to make. Coming to this decision for Bax, and Olive thinking she needs to take more chances in life, felt more like the character emotional journeys we went on, more than the romance. There was a good amount of open door bedroom scenes in this in the second half and dirty talk but while the words were on the page, I again, missed the charm and intimacy of the emotion and relationship development.

It wasn’t what you did that moved you forward the most, but the people who stood by your side when you did it. It was your family—your found family. The ones you chose to surround yourself with because them not being part of your life wasn’t a possibility you wanted to think about.

The last twenty percent has our leads dealing with the eventual fallout you know is about to happen when Olive learns and thinks that Bax has only been spending time with her because he was assigned to be her Guardian Angel. The resolution felt natural to the characters with nothing being dragged out or ignored smoothed over and you get a happily ever after. Some of the little additives started to feel disorganized and about nothing while at the same time taking up too much of the spotlight, taking away from the romance. It's great that romance wants to give us two fully formed characters but I miss the focus on having our leads actually together and focusing on developing the romance because in a romance genre book, that's what I'm here for. This did have cute and steamy moments, and if you're looking for a lighter read for Halloween, this is a pretty fun world to immerse yourself in for a while.

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this was an excellent witchy romcom. the spice was great and i loved the relationship between bax and olive. highly recommend.

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We were SO excited to get our hands on an ARC of Not Your Crush's Cauldron by April Asher! It was the perfect swoony, witchy read for the week leading up to Halloween (our favorite holiday). ⁠

Note: Not Your Crush's Cauldron is the third book in the delightful Supernatural Singles series (which starts with Not The Witch You Wed), so of course we had to go back and read the first two books before diving into this one. We loved all three, but the third was definitely our favorite. Why? Well, reasons:⁠

* Risk-adverse FMC who curates a list of daring things to force herself out of her comfort zone -- which draws the concerned attention of Guardian Angel Affairs⁠
* Rule-breaking, heavily tatted, reluctant but gold-hearted Guardian Angel with a motorcycle 🔥⁠
* Trio of witchy sisters who are all very different, but stick by each other no matter what 🩷⁠
* Plus-size/curvy rep ⁠
* Forced proximity (roommates!)⁠
* Friends to lovers⁠
* Forbidden romance!

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Another fun, flirty, adventurous and spicy addition to the Supernatural Singles series!

I have been looking forward to Olive & Bax's story ever since it was hinted in book one, and this one absolutely did not disappoint! I LOVE forced proximity and friends to lovers stories, so this roommate premise was absolutely up my alley. Olive is a cute and charming character, and I love how April Asher has managed to really set each of the Maxwell sisters apart. In this book, Olive is working hard to get outside of her comfort zone as well as to encourage the same for her students at NYU. This made for some really awesome messaging surrounding knowing when your boundaries are different from people around you and how thats okay, as well as set us up for some incredibly fun antics!

Bax and Olive have such wonderful chemistry. I loved seeing how deeply they cared for one another's well-being, even before they were sure about their feelings for one another. Bax's storyline with the Guardian Angels was also super fun on its own, and I loved getting more opportunity to learn about the politics and workings of this fun supernatural alternative world.

I was wary of how this third act was going to play out as it seemed like some serious miscommunication was likely, but I ended up very happy to report that while there was some minor misunderstanding, Bax & Olive were able to discuss and solve it with relatively little stress or drama. It was just enough to propel the story forward, and now to leave me frustrated with characters seeming to move backward in their progress.

I truly adore this whole series so far, and would absolutely recommend it to fans of witchy rom-coms, paranormal romance, alternative realities with *magic*, friends to lovers, and forced proximity and some delicious spice. Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for the eArc of this!

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Olive Maxwell likes her life - she has a wonderful found family, a job she enjoys and a project pitch that could really help out her community. When she challenges herself to step out of her comfort zone by creating a Dare I docket, her new roommate - Guardian Angel Bax - offers to help her complete it. As the two engage in pushing boundaries together, friendship and more blossoms.

I hadn't realized that this was the third in a series. I have not read the first two novels, which made the giant cast of characters really confusing at the beginning of the book. Once the story picked up, most of the extra characters fell away as the novel turned into Olive and Bax complete the docket. Both characters were well-rounded and together very combustible.

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The third Maxwell sister novel is here!! I have been in love with this series since Not the Witch You Wed. This one is a wonderful story with Olive and Baxter, who I knew a little bit in my mind would make a great couple. I loved Olive throughout the whole series and was so excited to get to her book. It's been a wild ride with the Maxwell sisters and I hope you pick up the whole series.

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This book was so cute! I loved all the characters, I loved the the main characters. I wish I read about the other sisters first to get more insight but this could be read as a stand alone as well! I really loved Olive and Bax, though. A sweet and steamy story between them which makes this read a fun one!

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4 stars
2 spice

I read the book really early, it doesn't actually release until Feb 2024, but I love reading witchy books in October.

If you are looking for a good witchy read, this is the book for you. If you ever wanted to read about a grumpy, tatted, and pierced Guardian Angel, complete with beautiful wings, this is the book for you. (And I didn't know that I needed Bax in my life before this, but trust me I did!)

This is a fun friends-to-lovers story, with the perfect amount of spice and magic. Definitely hoping that Harper, the sex demon succubus, gets her own book too!!

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I enjoyed the third installment of the supernatural triplets series. I had a feeling that Olive's story would be my favorite. The first half really had me hooked and I loved the forced proximity and flirty banter between our two main characters. After about 40% of the way through, the story was starting to feel a little slow, and I wasn't wanting to pick it up as much like I did before. After the slower sections of the story, I enjoyed where the final half of the book was going. I just felt like it could have been wrapped up a lot quicker instead of how much it was dragging on. I did really like getting so many of these characters together in multiple scenes throughout the book. The ending was a nice wrap up!

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This book is a fun and romantic read with plenty of humor. It’s a perfect fun for anyone who loves a good love story with a supernatural twist and a few accidental mayhems along the way.

There's a good dose of humor, romance, and supernatural shenanigans to keep you entertained- and plenty of spice too. If you're looking for a good laugh, a sweet love story, and some angel-y goodness, then this book is for you!

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for the ARC, I thoroughly enjoyed this one even if I didn’t read the other two first.

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is book 3 in the supernatural singles series and I loved it. The story just keep getting better. It can be read as a stand alone but you’ll enjoy it so much you will want to go back and read the other stories.

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This was a cute read. Olive and Bax complimented each other. I liked Olive's Docket project in the story and can you myself trying it. Harper was hilarious and I'm looking forward to her book. The only downside was that it felt a little predictable.

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4.5/5 stars

The third book in the Supernatural Singles series covers the third Maxwell sister, Olive, and her accidentally finding love.

I like the story between Olive and Bax. I like that the author made Bax a bad-boy (at least in looks/hobby) but paradoxically also an angel. Alternatively, Olive is a professor who doesn’t get out much - hence the need for the Docket to challenge herself to get out of her comfort zone.

This is definitely a series you have to read in order. There’s been some tension between Olive and Bax previously and the other relationships would be confusing if you didn’t know the backstory of everyone. The story itself is good on its own, but it’s so much better knowing the other characters from the prior books.

If you enjoyed Not The Witch You Wed and Not Your Ex’s Hexes, you’ll definitely like Not Your Crush’s Cauldron (although no cauldrons involved).

I’m also assuming (and hoping desperately) there will be a book for Harper as the honorary fourth Maxwell sister.

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This marks the third installment in the enchanting tale of the Maxwell sisters, and it's undeniably my favorite among the trilogy. The series just keeps evolving and improving.

In this captivating story, Sister Olive finds herself on a path from friendship to love, culminating in her well-deserved happily ever after with the enigmatic guardian angel, Bax. At first glance, with his tattoos and piercings, Bax appears an unlikely match for the reserved and disciplined Olive. However, their connection is both endearing and passionately intense. As Olive endeavors to explore the boundaries of her comfort zone, Bax is there to protect her, inadvertently pushing the boundaries of his own limitations.

While it's a delightful treat to witness cameo appearances by the other sisters in the series, I firmly believe that this book stands on its own merits. It offers a complete and satisfying reading experience, though it may entice you to go back and delve into the stories of the other Maxwell sisters.

With this story, the series wraps up the happily ever afters for the three triplets. However, I hold out hope that their vivacious and mischievous friend, who's essentially a 'sister' by choice, will soon have her own tale spun into the enchanting tapestry of this world.

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April Asher is my go to for witchy rom-coms. There were a lot of similarities in this book and the first two in the series which I found comforting because i really enjoyed the first two about the other two sisters. Banter, magic, romance and some spice! It had everything that makes me want to recommend it to everyone I know. Bad boy with a soft side is what makes for a swoony book boyfriend and that’s exactly what you get when it comes to Bax and how he treated Olive. Since this is a book releasing in February it would be a great read to curl up with a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate for some light hearted reading.

I received this ARC via NetGalley, April Asher and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

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Buckle in and prepare yourself for a slow burn. I promise the pay off will be worth it.

Olive is in desperate need of a new stable living situation and lucky for her, one of her best friends (and a guardian angel) Baxter has an extra room. A few days after moving in Olive decides to take in a “Dare I Docket” which she plans on pushing herself outside of her comfort zone. This puts her name (or was it her scheming grandmother, hmm) on a list of people in need of a Guardian Angel and Baxter is giving the case file.

However the only thing keeping Baxter in the good graces at his job is never having broken rule number three, don’t fall in love with your assignment…

A little bit of forced proximity, roommates and friends to lovers later this book had me hanging by every page. As I’ve said for every book in the supernatural singles, though this book is a romance the story itself always has a bigger drive and has me turning every page hoping everyone gets their happy ending. (It also has me hoping/ begging for a Harper Story next pleaseeeee!)

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What a fun, magical read! I thoroughly enjoyed this, and it was amazing to dive back into the familiar world. I love the Maxwell sisters so much (and their friends! and their partners!) and I will read basically anything April Asher writes.

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Not Your Crush’s Cauldron is book three in the Supernatural Singles series and could be read as a standalone without any trouble. Olive Maxwell teaches Supernatural studies at the local college and is a little bit in love with her friend and new roommate Guardian Angel, Bax Donovan. A hot tatted angel that barely skates the line on the rules for guardian angels, Bax wants Olive for his own but his new assignment of protecting her buts his career at risk and their relationship at risk. Steamy and sweet at the same time, Bax wins the reader over as Olive just falls deeper when conflicts arise that threaten their HEA. Fun and addicting, the Supernatural Singles make for a joyous experience that leave you wanting more. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

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This series is such a joy and I loved jumping back into it! Olive and Bax were hilarious and horny. There were a ton of fun scenes and I loved seeing the characters from other books.

I definitely need a Harper book now!!

Bonus: hilarious chapter titles

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This is the third book in the Supernatural Singles series, and it focuses on the third sister Olive Maxwell. The sister normally with her head in the books decides to spice up her life with new experiences out of her comfort zone, including moving in with her angel friend and long-time crush Bax Donovan. Soon after, Bax learns Olive is his newest Guardian Angel assignment and forced proximity fun ensues as he joins her while she pursues crossing items off of her Dare I Docket list.

There’s something magical about this series. Each book, including this one, is a feel-good witchy rom-com read for the Halloween (and any other) season. I love reading about the two main characters falling in love, and, maybe even more so, I love the amazing close relationships between all of the women in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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