Potions and Proposals, Kate Callaghan 🔮
Publication date, 24th August 2024

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this! I saw someone else on bookstagram reviewing this and thought it sounded good so I went to find it for myself.
I could tell it would be a bit of chaotic fun from the start with teacups turning into butterflies.
I really liked the dual pov of both the main characters, it was enjoyable having both their views on the situation and it was also easy to follow.
This book was fun and wholesome with the enemies to lovers theme. I loved Lucinda and Benedict as a couple!
There’s a lot of fun characters in this book, various family members as a grim reaper, vampire day managers in the manor, werewolves and witches. All of them quite likeable.
I found this to be a pretty quick read and would happily read more books if this was to become a series!
Fun and cosy read that I would recommend!

I had a lot of fun reading this. This book is about Lucinda and Benedict, who are coveting the same position in town and a spell gone awry that winds up bringing these enemies closer together. Being forced to be close to each other opens their opinions of one another, but also helps the characters grow themselves, too. I loved how the author created this world, I thought the descriptions brought the reader in really well and had a lot of descriptions that put you as if you were in this town. Plus, the chemistry was really amazing - nothing was rushed, but there was also just enough oomph. Also, I LOVED the cover.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lucinda and Benedict come from rival families and have pranking each other since childhood. Lucinda's mother is the high priestess of their coven and Lucinda is set to become the next high priestess. Until their pranking gets out of control and Lucinda and Benedict must agree to be bound to each other and will both govern the coven. This book is hilarious, lighthearted and has lots of fun witchy moments. I enjoyed the romance and the bulk of the storyline but I must say I was a bit suspicious of certain characters the whole time and kept waiting for a villain to be exposed or for something nefarious to happen and I feel like the story could have benefited from something more happening in the story. Overall an enjoyable read.
Thank you to The Publisher BooksGoSocial ,The Author Kate Callaghan & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review
This review will be posted on goodreads 6/15/2024
And on Amazon on date of release.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6586807853

Potions and Proposals is a witchy romance and it follows the journey of Lucinda and Benedict as they go from enemies to lovers. It does the trope well and whilst there is high stakes, it felt like a low stake read.

It’s set in a whimsical small town and uses dual POV which keeps the story interesting as you get to see how both characters start to not hate each other, and eventually fall in love. There are some really sweet moments that made me think ‘awww’ and there are some spicy scenes but nothing major (I wouldn’t class this as a spicy book). I was left itching to pick it up as the story was enjoyable and easy to imagine, and I can’t wait for the next book!

Overall, it’s a fun little cosy fantasy and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Perfect for fans of The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna and My Roommate Is A Vampire by Jenna Levine

Benedict and Lucinda are the magical enemies to lovers we’ve needed. I adored their banter and the hijinks they get up to (both past and present) are so fun! You can almost see them happening. Their romance is a bit slow burn, but so worth it in the end!

This was such an interesting world. We’re in Foxwoods, which is a sanctuary city for magical creatures. We have witches, werewolves, vampires, and grims (so far). I feel like there is so much more to learn- we mostly dealt with the witches.

I kept waiting for a huge suspenseful reveal or something that didn’t happen- but the ending worked for me! I’m excited to see how things play out in the next books because I still have questions.

Overall, this was a really fun read and I’m excited to see more of the world and characters we met.

Potions and Proposals is a cute, fun witchy read set in the town of Foxford, where witches, wolves and vampires live alongside magless (humans).

I enjoyed the lighthearted story of Lucinda and Benedict, who start out as enemies, but find themselves falling for one another after being forced into a binding ceremony by the leaders of their coven. The dual POV kept the story interesting, and made it easy to like both of the main characters.

There are some of my favorite tropes in the book, such as, arranged marriage, slow burn, forced proximity, elemental magic, and small town vibes.

If you love a quick, easy, supernatural romance read, then I would definitely recommend Potions and Proposals.

This was a great book! The enemies to lovers in this story was so good! I really loved reading this book. And the story was so amazing!

Potions & Proposals
by Kate Callaghan
4⭐️

witchy romance 🔮
arranged marriage
life long enemies to lovers 🦎
forced proximity
dual POV

I am a huge fan of witchy/paranormal romances but they can be so hard to find sometimes because they are very hit or miss for me. I’m happy to say I found another book to add to my fall witchy book recs! I absolutely loved Potions & Proposals! Benedict was so adorable, misunderstood and head over heels for Lucy. I absolutely LOVED when he confessed that for years he’s been secretly buying up all the books he’s seen her reading because he wanted to understand what took up her undivided attention! I love to read light fluffy romances in between fantasy books and this is the perfect cozy paranormal romance for it! I will be adding this to my witchy book collection when it officially releases in August!

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

*will be posted on IG on 7/25/24*

Enemies to lovers? Check. Magic? Check. Open door spicy scenes? Double check, I enjoyed this book very much- I loved the small town vibes, the witchy-ness, and ADORED the way the enemies to lovers trope played out.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn’t influence my review. The book lived up to its tropes! I just didn’t like the dual POV

Foxford is a town home to the most magical of people and to two of the most notorious pranksters-Lucinda Hawthorne and Benedict Matherson. These two families have a long history together with the Hawthorne matriarchs ruling as the High Priestess. Soon it will be Lucinda's turn but after a prank leaves the Matherson hotel with a bad review, a secret coven meeting reveals an ultimatum, bind herself to Benedict or risk being kicked out of the town. After an attempt to hinder the binding ritual, a potion goes mistakenly wrong and the two finds themselves leaning on each other more than ever before.

This was my first ever ARC and for that I will love it forever! I can't thank Kate Callaghan enough for letting me read her novel! This was a super cute, dual POV, witchy novel that I think will be perfect for the upcoming Halloween season. I liked the elemental magic which is something I haven't seen a lot of in witchy books. There was a perfect amount of spice, as well! I always expect romances to be a little cheesy, but overall, this was a great read! I will definitely be preordering a copy so I can have a physical copy for my shelves!

I just finished this book and I absolutely loved it! The enemies-to-lovers trope was done so well, and I really enjoyed the cozy small-town vibes. It was really well-written and I couldn't put it down!

Potions and Proposals, by Kate Callaghan, is an adult paranormal romance novel, with a great character lineup and enough magic and romance to keep it interesting. It was a fast-paced story without too much spice. Overall, it was a fun witchy romance that kept my interest throughout.
Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

Potions and Proposals is the perfect book for those wanting a cosy, quick, easy, romantic witchy read, for the Autumn months. It gives American autumn, Halloween vibes in its setting of Foxford, a refugee/safe town for witches/paranormal beings that have been hunted and basically controlled by the Order. It is a character driven story with very minimal plot. I rate the book 3 stars, but I think it’s very much a not for me book, while others will love it if they are searching for the above requirements for the book. I felt the world building was lacking, I still have so many questions about basic things, such as their magic, why can they NOT use it frequently when they are literally in their own ‘safe haven’, how does their magic work, how does one become a Grim Reaper, being a couple. I was more interested in the side characters than the main characters, as to me the main characters were rather boring. A lot of the plot issues were in my opinion a bit drastic. They are centred on the two main characters being in contention to become High Priestess even though it is literally Lucindas birthright, but due to Lucy and Benedicts pranks on one another and the ‘danger’ they pose, they have to either bind (marry) or one of them gets banished from the town. If that’s the case, neither of them are mature enough to be High Priestess, but there is no other younger person nominated or mentioned to take over. I did find this story boring and the plot issues quite weak. They just didn’t seem realistic or make sense. Lucy and Benedict aren’t enemies to lovers either, they are childhood nuisances turned adults who haven’t realised they love each other. The enemies to lovers should refer more to Rosie and her Professor. That would hopefully make a more interesting story. But again, its not a bad book, I just wish the world building was more in depth and that the plot was more fleshed out. If you are looking for something easy to read with cosy witch vibes this will be perfect.

I was really excited to read Potions & Proposals because it's about a magical town called Foxford , where people use elemental magic.
Our main character Lucinda works as a librarian, translating magical books, while Benedict, the other main character, owns a mansion that serves as a hotel.
Lucinda’s mom is the head of the coven, and Lucinda is expected to take over, but some things happen that make it difficult. Lucinda and Benedict used to be enemies as kids, but they’re forced to get engaged because they’re supposed to rule the coven together. If they don’t, one of them has to leave Foxford😥
Then Lucinda’s family tries to use magic to save her from a loveless marriage, but it doesn’t go as planned. It’s a cozy book with vampires, healers, the grim reaper, and werewolves as side characters. The story has a really lovely setting. I’ve always loved fantasy books, and when I saw the cover of this one, I knew I was going to love it 😻
It’ll be published on August 24, 2024.
I recommend this book to all romantasy fans out there.
My rating -4/5⭐️

4.5⭐️
This book was SO fun! I loved the banter and the little “world” of Foxford. The enemies to lovers ABSOLUTELY sent me and i couldn’t put this book down! The perfect cozy read especially around halloween. this book is by far a new favorite

This book was a fun cozy read. I enjoyed the different fantasy characters, and the twist of the magic switch. I can’t wait to see how the characters develop in book two

I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this book, but the second half felt anticlimactic. I really wanted to give this book more stars, but the ending fell flat for me.

Dive into the magical world of Foxford with Kate Callaghan's enchanting fall read, **Potions and Proposals**! Follow the sizzling dynamic between Lucinda Hawthorne, daughter of the High Priestess, and Benedict Matherson, the town's charismatic hotel owner and lifelong nemesis. When a mischievous prank gone wrong puts their fates in jeopardy, they face a choice: marry each other on All Hallows Eve or risk being forced out of town. What follows is a spellbinding tale of unexpected love, hilarious magical mishaps, and a vibrant small town that will captivate you from the first page to the last. Get ready to be swept off your feet by this delightful blend of enemies-to-lovers romance, small-town charm, and captivating magic. Don't miss out on **Potions and Proposals** —a must-read from Kate Callaghan that will leave you craving more!

I really enjoyed the Foxford world. The book seemed long to me wrapping up rather easily and quickly. All kinds of characters and their worlds were introduced but not necessarily explored. Definitely had the feel of setting up for a sequel. That being said I gave the book 4 stars instead of 3.5 because I will most likely read the sequel as this one left me curious about the village and the world of the surrounding woods as well as the Order.
Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for a preview of this book. This review is my own opinion.