Lovely witchy, cozy fantasy read perfect for fall time!! Really enjoyed this one and the writing style was fun.

Give me a witchy romance any day!!

Lucinda is in line to be the High Priestess of The Town of Foxford, but her nemesis’ mom nominates him as well for the position on the very night Lucinda’s mother announces her retirement. Benedict and Lucinda have always been at odds with each other throughout school and now into their twenties. In order to avoid a vote that would see her losing the job that is rightfully hers, Lucinda agrees to be bound to Benedict in this life and the next in 30 days. Hoping to find a way out before then, she agrees to the binding. As she gets to know Benedict more, she realizes there might be a spark of love between them.

Potions and Proposals is an entertaining enemies to lovers rom com. With a fabulous casts of quirky, lovable characters, unending shenanigans and plenty of spicy moments, I continued reading when I probably should have been doing something else. I chuckled, cried and gasped quite a bit while reading, so I think you will, too!

The book features a charming romance between Lucinda Hawthorn and Benedict Matherson, transitioning from pranksters to lovers in a cute magical setting that’s ideal for fall reading. The whimsical use of the enemies-to-lovers trope is engaging, although the "enemies" aspect feels underdeveloped.

While the magical world is intriguing the initial portrayal of the characters feels juvenile. Their antics were a bit childish for my preference as their behavior did not feel like something mature adults would do. Because this came off a bit YA, this tone may affect readers' engagement.

Despite these issues, the book remains well-written and endearing, particularly if you’re drawn to its whimsical elements. I think this was an overall cute "cozy" rom-com perfect for the fall season.

(3.5 stars)

Aawwww this book was so so cute. I loved this enemies to lovers vibe, i absolutely love their realization of it actually having been love all this time. I really enjoyed their struggles to put things right again. I also really liked the worldbuilding and i liked how this was sort of a magical world within the world that we actually know. Makes you fantasize that there really is more in thid world.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

If you want a low stakes urban fantasy about two childhood rivals discovering that they may have more in common than they think, this is the book for you. While overall this was an enjoyable read, it just wasn't for more me-maybe it was the time I read it or the style of stories I was reading at the same time but I just wanted *more*. The characters were fun the small town vibe was nice but it all felt flat, a lot of things happened but it also felt like nothing happened and all the issues/obstacles were resolved with little to no difficulty. I would recommend if you want a mostly closed-door romance with light fantasy and pretty good banter. Good read, just not my favorite but it may be what others are looking for.

I’m in a witchy, fall mood with by book choices lately and this hit for me. The MCs were interesting, and I loved their pranks. So much of the story felt relatable without me having anything in common with the MCs. Watching them come together was so stinking sweet. I like the small town vibes combined with the town being a safe haven for magical beings. I’m looking forward to more from this series – at least I think it’s a series. I need more intel on what Emerson is up to!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Callaghan, and BooksGoSocial for this eARC.

3⭐⭐⭐

This was a cute cozy fantasy. I was really loving it in the beginning but the later half of the book really struggled with pacing. I enjoyed the romance but the plot got dragged out too much.

The element swap was a cool twist to their rivalry but them trying to figure out how to reverse it with a spell took way too long. When it finally ended, it felt like such a pointless endeavor. All that stress Lucy and Benedict felt was kinda unnecessary. The binding would have brought them together regardless and I think Lucy should've first gone to those who were responsible for the mixup rather than hide it and run around town trying to fix it herself. Anyway, by the time the two finally fixed things, I was already bored. I just wanted to get to the ending and be done.

The romance was definitely the part I loved most about this book, but I didn't really like how it does the thing where the male lead is obsessed with the fmc, but that same level of obsession isn't reciprocated to the same degree by the fmc. I've read and loved books like this, but it just doesn't work for me anymore. I need both characters to be head over heels for each other. And eventually we do get there, but I still wanted more. I was much more connected to Benedict's character than Lucy's. I mean, the man spent years buying all of her favorite books AND reading them before they ever got together. I was bound to love him.

I will say that the part where they slowly come to question that they might be soulmates was my favorite part. The flashbacks of the past and their conversations about old memories and misunderstanding was a good way to deepen their connection organically. As much as I love the fated mates trope, I'm glad this didn't fall into the insta-love trap. I wouldn't call this a slow burn, but I was satisfied with the development of their romance. On another note, I kind of wish the pranking continued. I like when the rivalry is still there even after they get together, but I will settle for the hand-holding and the overall ending of the book.

There were moments with Wilhemina and Grams that were really sweet and emotional, mainly towards the end, and others that I was frustrated by.

I didn't care for the love triangle between Benedict, Emerson, and Lucy. Despite it adding angst to the main romance, it felt a bit unnecessary. But Emerson's budding romance with Rosie was so much better to see! I wasn't expecting to get invested in them, but the author did a good job of introducing their romance and their potential conflicts.

Aside from the pacing issues, this was a perfectly fine read. Not a stand-out book, but enjoyable enough. If I'm still interested by the time the next book comes out then I might give it a try.

[Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.]

I just could not get into this one. I'm not sure why because I really love this witchy type of book and I know there are heaps of people that would really like this book. So, I'm still going to recommend this book. The premise was fun and it's a great time of the year to be reading this book. So give it a go and let me know what you think!

- Rivals to lovers
- Magical mischief
- Grumpy and sunshine
- Cute pet names
- Arranged marriage
- Forced proximity.

Big thanks to NetGalley, Books Go Social and Kate Callaghan for this early release copy. This is my honest review

Just a little too predictable and cheesy in parts. Didn't feel the plot was developed to it's full potential and felt the characters fell for each other way too fast

4.25⭐
Perfectly charming and whimsical use of the enemies to lovers trope. For their whole lives Lucinda Hawthorn, the presumptive new High Priestess, and Benedict Matherson have waged a war of pranks, except the latest round of tricks caused the coven to question her ability to lead. The magical world created screams for more books to learn it's intricacies and the characters full of complexities waiting to be discovered.

Meddling mamas, waring elements & witches in this cute enemies to lovers rom-com. Benedict and Lucinda have spent their lives pranking each other and their coven has had it. Forced into being magically bound is the only solution, much to their dismay. What could possibly go wrong? fixing a magical mix-up and falling in love weren’t quite on the list.

Rating: 4.5/5
Spice Level: 2/5

I have been in a bit of a reading slump recently and this book had me giggling and kicking my feet so much I read it in 24 hours! If you loved enemies to lovers but where they actually know how not to take things too far, this book is for you. Lucy is the golden girl of her mystical town and Benedict is her rough around the edges nemesis with a not so great family past. They have spent most of their lives at battle with one another trying to get the other in as much trouble as possible. Yet Lucy is the first to defend Benedict against people's prejudice against his family and Benedict worries about her safety.

This story starts when their pranks finally go too far and the town presents them with an ultimatum. Either they "marry" (get magically bound to one another for this life and all others) or one of them will be voted out of town. Both desperate to not go, they agree to bind at All Hallow's Eve. Now with a month left before, they are trying to find any way out.

This book is so cute! It's a quick read that's little on the magic side but has a fun romance and wonderful familial relations.

Cute almost cosy fantasy with a little steamy edge. Pleasant if predictable story but not much happens. MCs fight - have been “enemies” since childhood, are forced to marry, fall in love, the end. As nice as it was - it didn’t have any real depth to it or conflict even. Giving it 2.5 stars for readability - though the writing and editing needs work. Kept spotting errors that would throw me off.

I just had too many issues with this one. I understand this may become a series, but there was a lot of emphasis on side characters, which detracted form the development of the main romance. I would have liked a smoother transition from enemies to lovers. I felt like as soon as this magical binding happened. they changed their tune too quickly. I also felt like the pacing in the first and second halves were quite different, and I would have liked some further development of the worldbuiling.

I struggled to get into this book. I felt like the characters lacked depth and at times felt a bit childish. There was also a lot of world building which meant that the story got bogged down at parts which broke up the flow of the book. I thought that the banter between Lucinda and Benedict was good at parts and I did like some elements of the magic system but overall, this just wasn’t the story for me.

Although I loved rom coms as a child, I'm not a huge fan of them anymore. It's like there's always something missing, something to keep me hooked and invested, something I'm interested in. Luckily more and more magical romcoms are being released and when I came across this book on Netgalley I knew I had to request it (that badly that I accidentally requested, and got it, twice. Whoops!) and I was very happy when my request was granted.

This book was exactly what I had expected it to be. Lucinda and Benedict have been pranking each other, with their magic, ever since they were in the same class and now they're forced to magically bind themselves to each other to lead the local coven. Luckily it seems that they do not hate each other as much as they think and slowly they grow closer and closer until it's clear that these two people are made for eachother.

That's especially because the author did an amazing job giving them personalities that could clash, but could also support and complete each other. We see the clashing mostly in the beginning, but throughout the story we see them working with each other and compensating for each other's flaws. Their combined efforts are truly better than the sum of their individual ones and it's clear that underneath the pranks and initial hatred, there was also a lot of respect and admiration.

I also liked the setting and the side characters. The author could have focussed only on the main couple, but there is also quite some time for the side characters to have their own storyline. I was also very positively surprised, maybe it's a mild spoiler, that the author doesn't go with another possible love interest causing drama in the relationship that's quite clearly destined to be endgame. I was a little afraid of that at first, but I'm very happy the author chose a different route.

I'll for sure check out the next book in this series!

I received an advanced review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.25/5

If you are looking for a witchy book to cuddle up with this fall, I recommend Potions and Proposals.

Foxford is a magical town where Lucina and Benedict live. They are rivals in the competition of who will become the High Priestess. Both Lucina and Benedict come from powerful families, so the current high priestess proposes a plan. If they will go through a binding ritual on All Hallows Eve and become married. The only problem is they must be in love for the binding to work. Throughout the book Lucina and Benedict must make a decision to try and find a way to love each other even if it through magic or let their dream go of being the High Priestess.

The first half of the book grabbed hold of me, but the last half fell short. I wish the last half ,in my opinion, needed to move along at a fast pace. In all I enjoyed the book and it gave me the witchy fall vibes that I was hoping for.

Very entertaining book!

Lucy Hawthorne and Benedict Matherson have known each other since they were kids; they are frenemies.. They are both witches from strong magical families. They have an ongoing "feud" with each other, they play harmless pranks around town. Only with the last prank played, others were the target. Lucy's next in line for inheriting the role of High Priestess in the coven from her mother, but due to their childish games, Benedict's mother nominates her son for the position as well. The duo are given an ultimatum, either become magically bound to each other on Halloween, or there will be a vote.

Lucy is a water witch, Benedict is a fire witch, they are both completely independent. But neither one of them wants to be banished from their beloved town either, so they both reluctantly agree to the binding ritual, When Lucy's Mom and Grams cast a love spell hoping fate intervenes before Halloween, (helping Lucy find her soulmate); things go awry. The following morning Lucy is wielding fire and Benedict is spouting water; shocking both of them.

Lucy and Benedict need to work together to hide what her family did, while Lucy spends time researching an old Grimoire to reverse the spell. Meanwhile, the couple are actually liking each other when they aren't at each others necks or busy plotting their next prank. Benedict has been in love with Lucy his whole life, he's shocked when her feelings for him begin changing. But Lucy doesn't know if it's because of the spell that was casted or not. So he'll be patient, he has been so far.

What will happen come Halloween? Can they fix the spell and will their elements switch back?

A must read!

*Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Lucinda Hawthorne is the next witch in line to assume the role of High Priestess in the small, magical town of Foxford. Benedict Matherson, Lucinda’s lifelong rival, has also been nominated for the esteemed position.

The coven gives them a choice: be bound to one another on All Hallows’ Eve or risk a vote of banishment.

Lucinda and Benedict agree to the binding, but when a spell cast by Lucy’s family goes awry, the pair find themselves magically intwined in more ways than one.

Read if you like:
- enemies to lovers
- magical small town
- arranged engagement

Lucinda and Benedict are adorable and seeing them go from childhood pranksters to friends to more was a delight. The slow burn is worth it. The town itself seems like the perfect place to spend the fall season. This book is cute, cozy, and magical - it would be the perfect addition to your fall reading list.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for a free digital copy of this book. This is my honest review. Publication date: August 24, 2024.

I give this book a strong 4.5 stars🌟

"Potions and Proposals" was such a delightful read! The story is set in the enchanting town of Foxford, where the air is filled with magic, romance and a tiny bit of mystery. It follows Lucinda, the town librarian (swoon!), and Benedict, the dark, brooding, and oh-so-handsome witch. Their journey from enemies to lovers is not only sweet but done in a very charming way.
The chemistry between Lucy and Benedict is so fun, and seeing them work through their childhood rivalries to discover a surprising mutual respect (and maybe a little more) was a treat. I adored the witty banter.

Foxford itself is a dreamy backdrop, and I felt like I was living in an episode of Gilmore Girls—only picture it with a mix of witches, vampires, and werewolves! The mystical beings in town added a lot of charm to the story.

Kate Callaghan’s writing is absolutely spot on—well-edited and engaging, making it a fast and compelling read. The cozy vibe makes this book an ideal choice for reading this autumn season. I couldn’t have asked for a more romantic and fun witchy read.

If you’re looking for a story filled with love, laughter, and magic, look no further.