Fun, cozy enemies to lovers story about two witches forced to marry one another. The story takes place in a small town that is sprinkled with magic. The book keeps you engaged as the two witches try to find a way out of their arranged marriage. The characters have a fun banter between them and the dual POV is interesting to read.

Perfect for a quick, sweet romance.

Living in Oxford, Lucinda Hawthorne has been destined to be High Priestess of her coven. Her lifelong nemesis, Benedict Matherson, however, has made her life miserable. After causing one too many problems for the coven, Lucinda and Benedict are given an ultimatum: become magically bound on All Hallows Eve and rule the coven together or risk a vote that decides who will be exiled forever. When Lucinda’s family casts a spell that backfires, Lucinda and Benedict are forced to work together to set things right when their elements get switched. Can the two finds a way to switch their elements back? Will they fall for each other?

The plot is engaging, humorous, and well-developed. The characters are likable, entertaining, and relatable. The character dynamics are realistic and work well with the plot. The world building is well-drawn and draws the reader into Lucinda and Benedict’s world. Fans of fantasy, romance, and magical mishaps will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections.

Please Note: A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. No other compensation was received.

I did enjoy my first dive into Romantasy and while I didn't love the book. I did enjoy learning a bit more about the genre. And I do plan to read more in the genre.

I think this is just a case of “it’s not you, it’s me.” Maybe if I’d went in with different expectations I’d have enjoyed this more, but sadly it wasn’t for me for many reasons; the writing style, the characters and their dynamics, the confusing setup/magic system, etc. I can see why a lot of people rated this highly and I wouldn’t deter anyone from reading it if they have it on their TBR, i just personally did not mesh with it.

A spooky season romance that uses forced proximity *and* enemies to friends to lovers? Sign me up! Potions and Proposals took a few chapters for me to really get into, for me to like Lucinda & Benedict enough to care, but once I was in, I couldn’t put it down. The premise took a little bit to buy into, from a lore perspective— if you’re not familiar with classic Halloween monsters, you’d be lost quite quickly— but Lucy & Ben and their friends and family are lovable, funny, frustrating, witty, a little bit insufferable, and overall a delightful cast of characters to spend time with. Reading a spooky romance in June isn’t quite the right time of year, so not being able to enjoy a nice mug of hot cider and the crunch of autumn leaves as a backdrop of my reading was a bit of a bummer. For a #spookyseason read though? 10/10, I’m all in. Potions and Proposals is a very fun, moderately spicy, highly enjoyable romance read. If you like witches and werewolves and vampires and autumn vibes, you’ll really enjoy this book!

This was such a great read! It has me just longing for the Fall season so bad! Benedict and Lucinda were such great characters and it was so easy to fall in love them and root for them from page 1.

Their story is so exciting and I love how this book really shows such a strong female character and how the male character just appreciates and supports her so much. It’s great to see strong women also get a great love!

This was one of my favorite reads in a while I just couldn’t put it down since I started reading it!

In the magical town of Foxford, where witches govern and vampires and werewolves exist, Lucy and Benedict have been advisories since he stole her teddy bear at three years old. Now as adults, they are pitted against each other to be the next ruler for the Coven when a prank Lucy pulls against Benedict backfires. The town has had enough and is forcing the two to go through a binding ceremony that will essentially marry them magically. Determined not to go through with the binding, a spell to prevent their magic from binding goes horribly wrong and Benedict and Lucy must now work together to fix the mix-up before the ceremony.

This is a cozy enemies-to-lovers story. Not a lot happens in the book, but the atmosphere of the small magical town and it's preparation for it's Fall Festival is like a big warm hug. The stakes are really low and the storyline very predictable, but it's a fun little romance story with a little bit of spice to it. I'm not sure if this is a series or a standalone, but I would love a sequel or maybe even a spin off novel for one of the other residences of Foxford.

Potions and Proposals by Kate Callahan Releasing on August 24th
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice:🌶️🌶️
Tropes: Arranged Marriage, Rivals to Lovers, Elemental Magic, Reluctant Allies, Cozy Small Town

In the town of Foxford we meet Benedict and Lucinda who have been long time rivals, constantly playing pranks since they were school children. When their pranks go too far they find themselves connected by far more than rivalry and their families. When Lucindia’s Mother announces her early retirement as High Priestess of the Coven and Lucindia being next in line, Benedict has been nominated as well. When they are presented with an ultimatum, they agree put aside their differences and become bound together in a binding ritual on All Hallows' Eve to avoid losing their positions. But when, a spell goes wrong it results in unexpected consequences, magically intertwining them.

Potions and Proposal took me by surprise, I don’t usually read anything witchy, but I do always love cozy fantasies. This book was so fun and romantic! It was a joy to see Lucinda and Benedict navigate their new connection and keep up with their regular town responsibilities; in doing so they find each other. With this perfectly written slow burn when their relationship turns from rivalry and reminiscing to love. The town of Foxford will steal your heart just as much as Benedict will, with the cozy small-town vibes that feel like Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic joined together. The people of Foxford and the new friends introduced are just as loveable and I am hoping to see more of their stories progress with Lucy and Benedict. Overall, this is a wonderful read with humor, romance, spice and fantasy. But you can't forget a little Chaos ;)

Thank you Kate Callahan and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy, I look forward to seeing others enjoy Foxford just as I did.

This was a cute book and I liked the world building and general autumn/witchy vibes.

At the beginning, this was a 5 star read for me. I really liked the premise and the setup. However, I began to struggle with the pacing of the book about a third of the way in. 50-100 pages could have been cut without impacting the plot. Too much time was spent on side characters (seriously why did they dedicate so much time to Emerson just to get no follow up?) and the fall festival where there was so much time spent delegating how it would be done but then we barely get to see it! I think a little more time in the oven would have drastically helped this book since there were quite a few grammatical and spelling errors as well.

I believe the sequel is in the works which would explain why there was some dedication to side characters in this story, but those characters were not compelling enough to make me want to continue reading this series. I kind of felt like some of these characters just acted like NPC's? There is one scene where a side character gets something important stolen from them by the FMC and then when she gives it back the side character is like "cool thanks". What??

Overall this was a cozy read and if anyone is looking for a fluffy witchy romance this is still a good choice, it just didn't tick all of the boxes for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Potions and Proposals is a delightful and enchanting addition to the magical romance genre. The story deftly intertwines elements of fantasy and romance, creating a world where love and magic coexist harmoniously.

The protagonists, are both charming and relatable characters whose journey of self-discovery and love is both heartwarming and compelling. The author’s ability to craft vivid, magical settings allows readers to immerse themselves in the enchanting world of potions, spells, and romantic entanglements. The chemistry between the main characters is palpable and builds up beautifully, making their eventual union satisfying and believable.

The plot is well-paced, with a perfect balance of romance, humor, and magical intrigue. The author’s creative use of magic as a metaphor for personal growth and emotional healing adds depth to the narrative. The secondary characters are well-developed and add richness to the story, providing both support and challenges to the protagonist's journey.

Overall, "Potions and Proposals" is a must-read for fans of magical romance. It captivates with its enchanting world, lovable characters, and a love story that feels both magical and real. If you’re looking for a book that will make you believe in the power of love and magic, this is the one for you.

3.5⭐️ 0.5🌶️
3rd person - dual POV

Tropes:
Rivals to lovers
Arranged marriage
Reluctant allies
Small town charm

I found this story to be charming and cute. It kept alternating between a 3 and 4 for me- I really enjoyed both characters and the side characters. I think at times it felt a bit long winded and there seemed to be a set up for a possible “issue” to arise which I think would have made the plot more enjoyable but it never came to fruition.
I also am intrigued by Peter and Freya- I need to know more!

Overall, if you are looking for a cozy read this fall - I think this will satisfy

Thank you so much NetGalley for an arc!

Before I begin, I would like to thank Kate Callaghan for allowing me to read a NetGalley arc of her upcoming book. Potions and Proposals, which will be available on August 24, 2024.

In the magical town called Foxford, talented and driven translator Lucinda Hawthorne is preparing herself for being appointed High Priestess. What she didn’t know is that the pain in her backside she’s known all of her life, Benedict Matherson, is also a contender for the position. They are given an ultimatum: they either have to be magically bound to each other on All Hallow’s Eve, or they leave their fates to a vote that could change their lives forever. Lucinda and Benedict agree to the binding, but the spell that Lucinda’s family uses as a precaution backfires and the two rivals are more magically connected than they thought was possible. Can Lucinda and Benedict figure out how to break the spell? And more importantly, can they figure out what they want for themselves, and who they are to each other?

This book was fantastic. You have Lucinda, a talented and hardworking translator that does her best to protect her town and preserve witches’ magical history and heritage. You have Benedict, a charming owner of the Manor in town and a stigma associated with his last name. Lucinda’s grandmother, parents, and Rosie were wonderful. The families involved had the best intentions for the two main characters (aka their children) and they made mistakes like all families do. The struggles that Lucinda and Benedict were going through, both individually and together, were absolutely valid and it was enjoyable watching their character development throughout the story. I loved Lucinda and Benedict’s banter and the sweet moments when they were vulnerable and kind to each other. This book does have mentions of discrimination, both from other magical beings and witch families, and the witch hunters themselves. Callaghan seamlessly weaves compassion and protectiveness between the two main characters, the families to their children, and the message that relying on harmful stereotypes do not help the people that those claim to protect. Overall, if you like meddling families, sweet romance, great banter, magic, enemies (rivals) to lovers, a grumpy cat, and some spice, then I would highly recommend this book. Here’s the link for more information: Potions And Proposals : An Arranged Marriage Paranormal Romance (Village of Foxford Book 1) - Kindle edition by Callaghan, Kate . Paranormal Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

This book was absolutely amazing!

It has me longing for Halloween cause this book gave me Halloween Town vibes the whole time.

The characters are so well written and the story sucks you in. It was a challenge to put this book down!

Dont walk, RUN to get this book!

BRB going to but everything else Kate has written!

This book just wasn't for me. I didn't enjoy the 3rd person duel point of view or the characters very much

I loved the world building of this book. It is a very comfy fall read. The different supernatural characters throughout just add to the vibe. The relationship the developed between Lucy and Benedict just made me feel giddy at times.

4.75 stars

ARC Provided by NetGalley

If you grow up watching Halloweentown or Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, this is the book for you! It has everything I look for when picking up a witchy romcom. Banter, magic, mishaps that are comical and don’t seemed forced. The setting for this story is also perfect! A small town where humans and mythical beings live getting set up for their annual Halloween fall festival *chefs kiss*. Their romance between Benedict and Lucinda had me kicking my feet and squealing. “Peter didn’t need to know the reason he called Lucinda Pumpkin, his favorite type of pie” like are you kidding me with that line, so freaking cute!!

My favorite thing about the writing style of this book is even though the story is in third person, Lucinda and Benedict have first person asides when they have “big feelings” and it just makes the characters much more relatable when you can hear their inner monologue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kate Callaghan for sharing this book for review!
All opinions are my own.

4.0 Stars

Super cosy romance read with the arranged marriage trope paired with enemies to lovers and a tiny by of spice sprinkled through.

Watching Benedict and Lucy grow together gives the warm and fuzzies in the best way with a low stakes fantasy undertone it’s the perfect easy escape from reality

Potions and proposals is a cute paranormal romance. Lucinda, daughter of the high priestess and next in line to lead the coven, is a goody-two-shoes who is always translating rare texts in the library. She's also known for her prank war with Benedict Matherson, a charming, only-likes-the-color-black, hotel manager with a bloodline tinged with dark magic. The recent loss of his brother and father to dark practices are proof of the dangers it holds. They live in Foxford, a safe haven town for magical creatures to hide from the discrimination of other, even if magless, magic-less citizens, are still aplenty. After a prank-gone-unexpexcted, Lucinda and Benedict are thrown into an arranged marriage. Will they drive each other crazy, or realize their trading has always been something more?

This book was so cute and wholesome. Not necessarily in terms of spice (spice levels reach half a pepper to one pepper, maybe.) But the characters are all well-intentioned good people. Cute and fluffy.

The world of Foxford was very interesting, with old bloodlines, elemental powers, and relationships between the magic and magless groups. It felt like a real world with real rules.

I do wish there was more tension between the characters. The pranks were all in the past, and they seemed to just go a long with everything.

This book is good if you want a light and happy fantasy read.

This book is not as good for those wanting romantic depth.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for letting me read a digital advanced reader copy!!

𝕄𝕪 𝕠𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕠𝕟
Loved the sparkle, the evolution of the relationship and the fact that HE fell first, never recovered and how oblivious SHE is...
You should read it as soon as it is available! I want a story for his brother the Reaper please...
•
⚔️ᴬⁿᵈ ˢᵒᵐᵉ qᵘᵒᵗᵉˢ:
-“You should shut up and kiss me.”

-“Pumpkin. I’ve never hated you.”

-“Can you guess who I am?”
He arched a brow. “Mine.”

-“Let’s never do that again,” she breathed.
“Kissing?” he asked with a frown.
“Breaking and entering,” she said.

This was such a comfy read! Easy, fun, fantastic magic system with a lot of humor and angst! I really liked the idea of a town where so many different magical types of people all reside and work together. Lucinda and Benedict were very well written and I loved the slow burn but found myself over 50% in still waiting for some spice. It didn't detract from the story though thankfully, and the humor throughout the book really helped! Loved it overall!