I loved the banter between Benedict and Lucinda, I especially loved that there was no third act break up or easily fixable situation made impossible by miscommunication. This was a fun read with all the whimsy!

“You bewitched me, body and soul, long before any spell or potion.”

ARC REVIEW: Potions and Proposals by @callaghanwriter

Release: August 23, 2024 (Paperback Release - OUT NOW on Kindle Unlimited)
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: eBook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book # for 2024: #73

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

SYNOPSIS: In the mystical town of Foxford, tenacious translator Lucinda Hawthorne is on the brink of assuming the prestigious role of High Priestess. However, fate has a mischievous twist in store for her: an unexpected coven gathering reveals that her lifelong nemesis, Benedict Matherson, is also nominated for the esteemed position. They are presented with a grave ultimatum: either become magically bound to one another on All Hallows’ Eve... or risk a fateful vote that could strip them of everything.

MY THOUGHTS: I absolutely adored this book! I was immediately sold on this book once I found out it was enemies to lovers and the main characters are rival witches. It did not disappoint! It was the perfect book to get into the spooky season mood.

I loved Benedict and Lucy separately as characters and as a couple. They are polar opposites, but that’s what makes them work so well together. The side characters were wonderful too. I especially liked Peter, Benedict’s brother, who is now a Grim Reaper. (The second book in the series is about him and I cannot wait!)

I also really enjoyed the dynamics of the town. Foxford is considered a sanctuary town where all types of magical beings are welcome. It’s great to have a book where everyone coexists (for the most part) peacefully.

If you love books with witches, enemies to lovers, and small town vibes, I highly recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

This was such a fun read! This was my first try at reading a cozy fantasy and man! It didn’t disappoint, I’ll be on the hunt for more by this author.

This was so fun! Loved all the ✨magic✨ in this story. Our main characters were amazing and I really enjoyed them. I enjoyed the relationship they ended up having and the fun banter between the two. Highly recommend

A really solid 3.5 star witchy rom com.

Really well done RIVALS to lovers, though I hope in future visits to Foxford they still tease and prank each other just a tinyyy bit! I still want that bit of banter and back and forth to keep their relationship interesting. They’ve pushed each other to be better their whole lives and I want them to continue to support each other and grow together.

I was definitely here for the Freaky Friday element that was done simply but effectively. I enjoyed the light meddling from family and friends while still giving Lucy and Benedict lots of focus and agency in their decisions and actions.

Overall it was a lighthearted and fun adventure into a more mature Halloweentown meets Stars Hollow community. It gave me the HEA I was looking for with just enough conflict. Thank you for not throwing the 3rd act break up into the trope mix! I was happy to see two late 20’s adults with educations and careers navigate their predicament with understanding and empathy while still giving us glimpses of their past prank wars and youthful naivety.

Basically I’m super excited to return to Foxford. I need more of this supporting cast! Emerson has something he needs to tell us, Peter needs some more misguided adventures and Luisa needs to bring more tea.

This was such a cute, fun read. I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between Lucinder and Benedict, their rivals -to- lovers relationship was such fun to follow. The whole book had me laughing a lot and I sped through it as I was desperate to know what would happen.

3.75/ 5, cozy fall read with small town romance rivals to lovers, forced proximity with witchy vibes, werewolves and HEA. Perfect read for a fall night in.

In the magical town of Foxford, Lucinda Hawthorne is a librarian and magic texts translator who is soon slated to take over her mother’s prestigious role of High Priestess. Lucy and Benedict Matherson are rivals and have been pranking each other since childhood, except her last prank jeopardizes the Matherson manor and the town’s reputation and the coven gathering presents them with an ultimatum: Lucy and Benedict are to complete the binding ritual in 1 month on All Hallows’ Eve and co-lead the town, or have the coven vote on the next leader and banish the other from the town. They reluctantly agree to the binding ritual, meanwhile Lucy is hoping to get out of it and unbeknownst to her, her family brews a potion for her to find her perfect match hoping to nullify the binding ritual, but it results in unforeseen consequences with Lucy and Benedict’s elements of Water and Fire are swapped. There’s a fine line between hate and love

“You bewitched me, body and soul, long before any spell or potion”

Benedict has secretly had feelings for Lucy since he was young but Lucy wars with her feelings, not knowing if it’s the spell or her growing fondness for him. I enjoyed their witty banter and slow burn chemistry. Kate Callaghan did a great job on side characters Rosie (&Emerson) and Peter (&Faye) and I could easily read books with each of them as the MC. I loved the small town vibes with the gossip among the townspeople and Grams is that feisty grandma we all wish we had.

“I’d rather spend the rest of my life bickering with you than at peace with anyone else. I’ve never had to be perfect with you”

Thank you Kate Callaghan and NetGalley for this ARC for my honest review
Pub date: Aug 24, 2024

My second book by this author, and first that is in her comfort genre- fantasy. I am impressed. The book follows the enemies to lovers trope, but more than pure hatred, it's mostly harmless rivalry and pranks. The MCs had great chemistry and had me loving the book from page one. I loved seeing their bond evolve over time, as did their understanding of magic and their elements. The side characters are so much fun and the banter in this book is top notch. The magical elements in the story were just the perfect amount so that I wasn't very overwhelmed with the worldbuilding, yet perfectly engaged. I will be reading more books by this author in the future and recommend this book wholeheartedly.

I found this book on NetGalley and was drawn to the cover. Cute and cozy book. When I started this book I had no idea what I was getting into but I have to say this was a very enjoyable witchy romance.
Rivals to lovers. Benedict is just a dream and Lucinda is a feisty one. The romance felt more like an insta love than the slow burn but sometimes a girl just loves an insta love story. The banter was giving me life. It took a couple chapters for me to get into the book, but then I couldn't put it down. Perfect autumn read.

Tropes:
Rivals to lovers
Arranged marriage
Small town
Reluctant allies

This was such a fun and magical read!

I loved the idea of Foxford being a sanctuary for magical beings like witches, vampires, and werewolves. The small town setting where everyone looked out for one another despite their political disagreements made for a great comfort read. And I couldn’t help thinking of Halloweentown with the descriptions of the Autumn Festival, which gave me a nice bit of nostalgia.

Benedict and Lucinda’s relationship was absolutely adorable. The pranks they played on each other were hilarious, and I thought the circumstances bringing them together were well executed. Enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, and forced proximity all combined into one awesome story!

There were some miscommunications at times which I’m not a huge fan of, and a few things left unexplained, but I think this is the start of a series and those questions will hopefully be answered in the next book.

If you’re looking for a cute, magical book with an autumn setting to start out your fall, I definitely recommend this one that releases August 24!

Thank you to BooksGoSocial for providing this ebook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

** Thank you to Kate Callaghan and NetGalley for my copy of Potions and Proposals in exchange for an honest review **

What's it about?

"A spell or potion can't fabricate love, nor force anyone to feel or act in a certain way"
"I can't give you fireflies, but I hope you'll accept the stars"

The story takes place in the magical town of Foxford, in which book enthusiast and translator, Lucinda Hawthorn is about to step into her mother's role of High Priestess.
She has naturally accepted this as part of her path in life so the transition should be a smooth one. Right?

Fate has a mischievous plot twist in store for Lucinda and it comes in form of Benedict Matherson.
Their two families are friends but the pair have terrorised the town with their bickering and pranks for as long as they have known each other. At a coven meeting, much to Lucinda's horror, Benedict is put forward as a nominee. The pair are presented with a grave ultimatum: either become magically bound to one another on All Hallows’ Eve or the coven casts a vote for who should lead the town.

The pair reluctantly agree and begin to prepare to work together. Lucinda's family decide to intervene with a spell to disrupt the binding before All Hallows Eve but it backfires and the consequences set the pair on path that will change them, and their relationship for always.

What I liked?

Potions and Proposals was an easy, cosy read. Written in alternate points of view of the main characters, you could slip in and out of Foxford without problem.
I liked that the magic system was easy to follow, that the characters are likeable and their interactions believable.

The story settles around the consequences of a spell going wrong and our MCs having to work together to resolve them. The story paces well around the characters exasperation at each other, their funny moments as well as their dawning realisation that there have been a lot of misunderstandings in their relationship, leading into some more tender and heartfelt moments. There is also a sprinkling of spice.

The side characters to the story were written well, in particular Lucinda's friend Rose (werewolf) and Benedict's brother Peter (Reaper)- these characters supported the readers understanding of the MCs and gave them more depth. I absolutely love when side characters aren't just written as cheerleaders for the MCs, but contribute more to the story and have their own to tell.

I really enjoyed my time in Foxford and it feels like there is room for this town and its stories to grow. I wonder if there will be future stories as there was an introduction to werewolves and it felt like something was happening with these characters in the background.

All in all Potions and Proposals is a sweet love story in which the characters overcome their misunderstandings and find true love.

Not so much?
There wasn't much I didn't like to be honest. The concepts were good - thought provoking in places. It feels like the book is paving the way for future books. So sometimes I felt that parts of the story were hints at something underlying or parts of an idea moved forward too quickly. That being said, it was such a sweet story and I would be very happy to revisit Foxford in the future.

Recommend?
I would have no hesitation in recommending this story to those who enjoy enemies to lovers romance books with a magical theme. It would be a cosy, autumn read for sure.
(Pease be aware that this book is intended for a mature audience)

If you are looking for witchy, cozy read this one is for you!

I loved the banter between our two main characters and all the little jokes and pranks between them, i KNEW there is some chemistry between them and i was right. I am glad i was right. I looove them together so much! When you are an adult and you are still pulling pranks on each other - it has to be love, it just has to!


I would't call it like proper enemies to lovers - they weren't hating each other i think, there was just a lot of misscomunication between them which they needed to sort out to grow together. And it worked out perfectly!

The side characters were also very enjoyable, i would love to learn more about them (like maybe another book or two).




Autumn is coming - brace yourselves and give 'Potions and Proposals' a try!

Thank you NetGalley and BookGoSocial for the book! Here I leave my honest review.

🌶

- arrange marriage
- rival to lovers
- witch

I think this is a fun book for those who want to read fantasy romance but not too heavy and in fact this book seems to have very little conflict. It just focuses on Benedict and Lucy's relationship, which ultimately broke down because they played pranks on each other too often. Even without reading Benedict's POV, I already suspected that Benedict actually had feelings for Lucy, but he just avoided it and kept quiet about his true feelings.

Here, there are 2 POVs so we can know what each of them is feeling and thinking. While reading Lucy's POV, I was quite upset, it seemed like it was really hard for her to believe Benedict's feelings even though Benedict had been very honest with her and was outspoken. I really like seeing Benedict not hiding his feelings for Lucy. On the one hand, I like the development of their relationship, which tends to be slow but still gamey because they push and pull like that, as if they already like each other but are still hiding it under the guise of pretending to be close. Quite exciting for those who don't want to read a heavy book!

'Potions & Proposals' by Kate Callaghan is a wonderful, quirky, rom-com, that centers around a small town, a witchy romance that contrasts enemies and lovers, making it an ideal read for the fall months. A wonderful piece of writing that drew me in from the very beginning to the very end! It is a lighthearted and hilarious book, with lots of fun witchy moments to keep you entertained. Especially when two people used to "hate" each other and were constantly pulling pranks on each other, while also caring about each other on a day-to-day basis, such a unique relationship can be hard to measure and to define but I think Callaghan did an amazing job!

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fantasy romance that is entertaining and engaging. Also, it is a little on the lighter side of spice as well, so it may be a good pick for those just getting started in the romance genre. Throughout the book there is an excellent balance between writing strong characters, which enthralls the reader into their lives. I especially enjoy the banter between the main characters, as well as their rivalry with each other, and the moment they realize they each love each other.

There was no doubt in my mind that this would make for a great quick read and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves reading paranormal romance books.

I would like to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the eARC.

what an absolute fun read!! loved the premise so much. a quick fun read by one of my favorite authors. good plot and likeable characters. would highly recommend this one!

I was completely enchanted by this book! A super sweet romance set in a fun magical world.

Following Benedict and Lucinda as they moved from enemies to lovers was incredibly satisfying, and the sweet town of Foxford was a perfect setting for the book.

I the magic system was really interesting and the fun banter was well written with a great balance of humour.

Overall I really enjoyed this book!

3.75🌟

When I started this book I had no idea what I was getting into but I have to say this was quite an enjoyable witchy romance.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to be too keen on this at first as the first chapter was quite kooky and gave me Hotel Transylvania vibes but once I got through the first few chapters and the main characters came into play then I started to enjoy it.

I really liked the plot to this with the arranged marriage, or in this case, binding and the enemies to lovers. I loved the fact that they were forced to work together to fix the problem that was caused, however I wished they spent more time together in the first half of the book.

I felt like Benedict and Lucy had barely any time together in the first 50% of the story. They had the odd few chapters together but not enough for me. There also wasn’t many flirty interactions that made me want them to be together. I feel like for me personally that there needed to be more moments where they were realising they were actually beginning to like each other. It felt like they had barely spent any time together and then when they did suddenly have lots of chapters together they realised that they were in love. It felt a bit rushed in the second half to make sure that they were falling in love.

Overall, I thought this was a really cute and cozy romance for the upcoming autumnal seasons. The only thing that really bothered me was that there was one thing that happened that never got answered so fingers crossed there’s an answer for it in future books 🤞🏻

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for approving me to read this book!
I absolutely devoured this book!! So so so good!! I highly recommend

Welcome to the Village of Foxford. In this small town you will find a quirky group of witches, werewolves, vampires and humans.

Rivals Lucinda and Benedict have been playing magical pranks on each other since they were children. However, after a prank gone wrong the pair find themselves bound together by their coven.

As the story progresses, Lucinda and Benedict peel back their layers to uncover their true feelings for each other.

Read if you like:
- Magic
- Rivals to Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Witches/Vampires/Werewolves
- Small Town

Thank you BooksGoSocial, Netgalley and Kate Callaghan for the arc.

This was a fun low stakes read! The pacing of the book was nice and fast but still felt like there was enough of a build up and slow burn to give the characters and relationship depth.