Member Reviews
"Not Your Crush's Cauldron" by April Asher is an entertaining addition to the Supernatural Singles series. It focuses on Olive Maxwell's journey into the wild side of life, accompanied by her unexpected roommate and crush, Baxter Donovan, a Guardian Angel with his own set of challenges.
The novel dives into Olive's endeavor to break out of her comfort zone, a premise that sets the stage for some amusing and light-hearted moments. However, the storyline's reliance on the guardian angel premise feels weak and sometimes stretches the bounds of logic. Additionally, the level of graphic content may only suit some readers' tastes, veering towards the more explicit side.
As a standalone read, jumping into the series with this third installment might leave readers feeling disoriented, as the backstory and character development seem lacking. Familiarity with the preceding books is essential to fully appreciate the dynamics and context.
Despite these drawbacks, the camaraderie among Olive and her friends adds a pleasant touch to the narrative, offering moments of warmth and connection. Moreover, the unconventional take on the happily-ever-after trope, where not everything ends in a perfect win, adds an intriguing twist to the typical romance storyline.
Overall, "Not Your Crush's Cauldron" delivers a fun and whimsical witchy rom-com experience, albeit with some shortcomings in depth of character and plot coherence. It's a quick and enjoyable distraction for those seeking a light read, especially for fans invested in Olive's family saga.
Bookish college professor Olive Maxwell finds herself facing a challenge after giving her students an assignment to get them outside of their comfort zones - if her students are making their own 'Dare I' dockets, why shouldn't she? Olive doesn't know where to begin but moving in with her motorcycle riding, tattooed bestie Baxter (or just Bax) to escape a roomie from hell seems like a good start!
The tension as these two go about living in their close quarters is delicious (cue the hallway post shower run in where Bax may or may not lose a towel & unveil some *special* piercings). All the while Bax is skating on thin ice as a Guardian Angel & unknowingly to Olive, he has been tasked with keeping her safe while she takes on all of her daring tasks.
I'm not sure what is in store next for this author but I would love love love to see Harper get her own HEA after she's been a supportive bestie through the whole series so far!
In the newest Supernatural Singles series we follow Bax, a guardian angel, and Olive, a witch. Both the characters are in the other books in the series so it was nice to so how this played out. This series has been so fun and I really enjoyed this book, I look forward to more from April Asher, maybe a book about Harper?
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!
"Not Your Crush's Cauldron" by April Asher is an enchanting blend of magic, romance, and laugh-out-loud humor that casts a spell on readers from the very first page. Asher's fresh and witty writing style brings to life a world where potions, spells, and unexpected love potions collide in the most delightful way.
The premise of a reluctant witch trying to navigate her powers while grappling with a crush on her best friend's brother is both charming and relatable. Asher's protagonist is endearingly flawed and utterly lovable, and readers will find themselves rooting for her every step of the way.
What sets "Not Your Crush's Cauldron" apart is its perfect balance of heart and humor. Asher expertly weaves together moments of genuine emotion with laugh-out-loud funny scenes, creating a story that is as heartwarming as it is entertaining.
This series has been a favorite for me. I absolutely love these sisters!! 🤭🤭
This one follows Olivia and Bax and I was here for allll of the delishhhh sexual tension. HELLLOOOO 🥵🔥🔥🔥
I love that so much in this book felt super relatable. Even if they are "supernatural". It felt so easy to connect with the characters. Grumpy sunshine is one of my favorite tropes and this one pulled all the stops.
I don't want to give away too much, but I will say-- this one was absolutely Incredible, fun, SEXXXYYYYY & everything in between. I'm obsessed 🤌🏻 and you should read it!!
I have been looking forward to Olive and Bax's story and it was great to see their happily ever after! I really loved their banter and how the story picked up where the previous book left off with their friendship.
|ARC review|
For it being the third book in the series it really felt like nothing was going to be surprising about the world they were in. That being said the Angel world being introduced was nice, and interesting to see their dynamic vs the demons in the second book
Olive and Bax dating wise were very cute, both are very tied to family in a healthy and unhealthy way. There was never a doubt that they wouldn't end up together. I just think the fact that after their fight it only takes Olive less than a day to have processed and sorted out her feelings while handling such a big presentation for her job
The Docket was a nice spin on a Bucket list, loved that in the end it was about how the experiences were wholesome and noteworthy because of the people you do them with and i think we should implement that. Like you wanna join the circus find a person you trust to join with you.
Oh how I adore this fun paranormal romcom. Not Your Crush’s Cauldron is book 3 and while it could be read as a standalone, I think it’s a more enjoyable read after reading the first 2 books in the series. This is about Olive, the youngest Maxwell witch sister and Baxter, her guardian angel.
This book had the perfect mix of banter, humor, steam, and supernatural elements.
I’ve enjoyed that the MMC have been a different supernatural being paired with one of the Maxwell witch sisters. But mostly, I loved the theme of trying new things and stepping outside your comfort zone. I think we could all do with a bit of that.
I’m really hoping this isn’t the end to the Supernatural Singles series. I’d love to see the Maxwell sisters’ friend Harper and succubus extraordinaire find her HEA too.
Read if you like:
✨ magical romcoms
✨ plus sized rep
✨ found family
✨ forced proximity
✨ friends to lovers
✨ interconnected series
✨ forbidden romance
✨ roommate romance
This was one of my more anticipated books coming out the beginning of this year. I really enjoyed the first two books in this series - and this one did not disappoint. The world building and family group is well established at this point, and while this book could be read as a stand-alone, there is definitely a lot of carry over with characters and former plot lines into this story that makes the experience a little better with the background.
Read this story if you enjoy:
>Witches and Guardian Angels
>Teacher/Tattooist
>Getting outside of your comfort zone
>Great side characters
>Magic and motorcycles
Olive and Bax are a great couple and I really enjoyed them both as individuals and as their relationship grew. I thought the project to take Olive outside of her comfort zone was a fun plot line and the things that she put on her list kept the story entertaining!
I was mildly disappointed that the lack of communication between the two of them played such a big role in the storyline. I understand how some of it was 'excused', but at the same time it played a large role in the third act break-up and the break down of their relationship. I really enjoyed Bax's sort of side-job as an artist and tattooist and the way that he designed a piece of art for Olive was very sweet.
At the end of the day, this was a very entertaining read and definitely a good addition to the series. I think this is the last (?) since all three sisters have had their own stories now - and the series overall was very satisfying. Thank you to Netgalley and Griffin for the eARC of this book. All thoughts in this review are my own and given freely.
This is a great story. The characters are fun, funny, and flawed. The world is a wonder to behold and walk around in. I love the plot with all of its twists and surprises. The banter and the omg moments are amazing and what kept me on my toes. I highly recommend!
April Asher ended the Supernatural Singles series beautifully with this sweet and steamy romance! I love this author.
I've really enjoyed this series so far so I'm glad that Not Your Crush's Cauldron lived up to the hype. It was cute and fun with just the right level of spice. I'm not the biggest fan of slow burns but it really worked for Olive and Bax. I really enjoyed getting to know Olive more in this one. I would have liked to see more magic in this one but otherwise I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
As with this first two books in this series, I really enjoyed this book! I loved that Olive and Bax were able to show each other another side of themselves to each other. Their story might be my favorite so far. I can’t wait to see what April Asher writes next!
Book 3 of the Maxwell sisters. It's always a fun time til escape back to the world of supernatural
Friends and love. Bax was aloof in previous books and we have seen some serious character development and o love that Olive was given the spotlight after being overshadowed by her sisters. Like the previous books it's cheesy and spicy. It's just so fun. I'm glad I was entrusted with this book. It definitely made me a happy lil clam
Olivia Maxwell is a straight laced witch, a college professor that would rather see her students have fun than do it herself. But when she decides to start living on the wild side, her long time crush ends up becoming her guardian angel, and things get interesting. A witty, fun novel of supernatural love, I devoured this one. It was a great palette cleanser from all the horror and thrillers I have been reading. I loved the characters, the supernatural world, and just the fun of it all!
Thank you to NetGalley and Griffin for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.
The first two books in this series were pretty average to me. I think I have them both 3 stars. I wanted to read the third book in the series because I felt like I knew the characters well enough and cared to see the outcome. I'm so glad that I did because this was the best one yet.
April Asher writes a great plot! I enjoy that her stories have both characters point of views so you're never left guessing how they feel about each other. Her concepts are unique and this one is no exception. A guardian angel on probation getting assigned to his roommate that he also already loves? First I've ever seen of it.
If you've stomached and leaned into the interesting immature quirkiness of the characters in the first two books, then you'll have no trouble with this one. I can't understand how a smutty book can also have fake swears and "make it stop" when she sees people kiss. Whatever.
It was so nice to see updates on Violet and Rose, the sisters of the first two books focus.
Overall this is another good witchy read that I enjoyed even in the spring months. I think this is the best in the series and I found myself wondering how they would get their happily ever after until about 75% of the way through and I really enjoyed how April decided it! These are standalone books in a series, but I would absolutely recommend reading them in order.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
DNF.
I couldn't get into this one - I couldn't get oriented into the world and the characters. The cover is adorable and I had high hopes but ultimately I was having too hard a time picking it up and couldn't finish. Might try others by this author though.
Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Dreamscape Media for the eARC & ALC of this beautiful book.
Available Now—released February 13th.
Not Your Crush’s Cauldron
by April Asher
Narrated by Zura Johnson
Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.5/5
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.75/5
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥 (0-5)
What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 Friends (and secret crush) to roommates to lovers.
🤩 3rd person dual POV works with one narrator, but I like that we still get both MCs thoughts and feelings. Her voice is so entertaining and beautiful.
🤩 Beautiful (double) secret pining, fantastic flirting and forced proximity.
🤩 Baxter Donovan is the Guardian Angel with full-sleeve tattoos, a messy man-bun, piercings, and a motorcycle!
🤩 Olive is a college professor in Supernatural Studies, and she has a list she needs help with, her Dare I Docket.
🤩 These two are hot and the guardian angel plot is fun.
🤩 When Bax walks in on Olive opening (and trying to control) the special housewarming gift from her sister—Tentacle Teaser 2000. Laugh-out-loud funny!
🤩 How Bax calls Olive angel even though he’s the angel.
🤩 How Olive calls Bax wingman.
🤩 The cloaking spell, in her office! 🙌🏻
What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 I definitely need to go back and read the first two stories in the Supernatural Singles series.
💫 I wonder if Harper’s getting a story? Or will it stay a series of three with the witch triplets?
💫 The ending and HEA are sweet, but I wish there was some steam after their time apart.
Curvy witch romance? GIMMIE! Not as much depth into the magic aspect of things, but still a good read. I understand this was about Olive finding herself and embracing risks in her life, but it felt more like a woman empowering novel with romance as a sideline.
I had to put this on to the side so many times. I really liked these characters, Bax and Olive. They were a cute witchy rom com moments. But what I always got held up on is the writing style. Maybe Asher just isn’t for me. But the flow seemed to be missing the mark a bit for me. It was a cute romance, and that is what kept me going, but I don’t think I would add it to my “you have to read this” list.