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.

3 .75 ⭐️ 2 🌶️

Read As An Arc

🧙🏼‍♀️ Spooky Season
🧛🏻‍♂️ Dark x Light
🐺 Enemies x Lovers
🧙🏼‍♀️ Small Town
🧛🏻‍♂️ Witches x Vampires x Werewolves
🐺 No 3rd Act Break-up
🧙🏼‍♀️ Forced Proximity
🧛🏻‍♂️ Cozy Read
🐺 Opposites Attract

Lucinda and Benedict were fun to read about, with it also being a quick, easy, and cozy read. I love the fact that this is giving spooky season vibes with characters that are dark x light, opposites attract in this fantasy romance. It’s cute needless to say!

I need to make this clear that this is an ARC REVIEW so I fully understand that edits need to be made before the release. There are spelling mistakes and grammatical errors that I noticed, but I am sure this will be fixed with more editing and proofing. I also can’t help myself and turn my brain off for things like this, especially since I am an English major; it’s wired within me.

The writing is fine for a YA novel over an adult one, in which case, to be more adult-ish, I would have preferred the writing to be more direct and less wordy with the sentences. Like instead of drawing out a sentence with unnecessary words to drive a point, it can be done within 1-2, even 3 sentences getting the point across concisely, if you know what I mean.

This, overall the writing, was a good read! There are a couple of drawbacks. One being that there is a lot of prepping going on rather than action and progress being made within their ultimatum I find because there was no climax, or that moment that flips the switch in the book. Unless I completely missed it, which would mean its subtle and soft one.

There is a bit of an insta-love trope going on since Lucinda and Benedict are enemies, and then due to the ultimatum to bind themselves magically, they do fall in love pretty quickly and instantly. There could’ve been a bit more spice too since there are different spooky characters which I am here for!!

I also feel like the characters did not match who they were a bit? No spoilers, but I just think their characteristics could’ve been matched a bit better and refined toes they are. The characters do change, grow and evolve over the course of the book, but again, this could’ve been a tad better to help with the decisions being made.

Overall, the book is a good rollercoaster to be on, it has the slow burn, and the other characters are worth looking into, especially if we want to explore the town a bit more and get to know the universe a bit better. This is the first book, so I am looking forward to next ones for this!





* Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

*** will be posted on Goodreads Aug 20 @ https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/170879374-bee?shelf=read

Potions and Proposals is a sweet and lighthearted romance story. If you want something light to read, this is a good choice.

I personally struggled a bit with the characters and the writing. The actions of the characters just didn’t always make sense and the dialogues felt a bit forced. All and all the book could have benefitted of more editing and evaluating which scenes were necessary for the storyline. It took me a while to write a review because of these problems.

Despite all this, it can still be an enjoyable read, just not for the critically minded.

I received an advanced reviewer copy of the book and this is my honest opinion that was left voluntarily.

GENRE: fantasy romance
TROPE(S): enemies to lovers
POV: dual
THEMES: elemental magic
ATMOSPHERE: small town
SPICE: 2 / 5🌶️
STARS: 2.5 / 5⭐️

From the first page, the book is incredibly exciting and full of sarcastic hilarious banter.
Although, banter is not the correct word for it.
We are in a mystical town of Foxford, a place full of witches, werewolves and other fascinating creatures.
A secluded community of magical beings who were persecuted in the human world in the past, but here they find refuge and kinship among "like-minded" individuals.
Creatures who possess magic.

Thank you nergally and publisher for this book!

I really enjoyed this cozy romance. I usually don’t go for these types of genres, but I also love the element of the witchy that went along with it. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

This is such a cozy witch/wizard read that i loved cuddling up with every night. I really enjoyed reading about Foxford (the town), the characters, the backstory of the families, the magical objects, the history and the uniqueness of certain things like The Order (which is the Vatican Church) etc. Lucinda and Benedict were so cute. I kinda wish I saw more of their mischievous side towards each other. Otherwise I loved watching their love story unfold.

The only thing I didn't like was that I felt like certain parts could've been fleshed out better. And some things that happened jumped to the next without more explanation.

Witchy romance ✅️
Enemies to Lovers ✅️
Humor aplenty ✅️
Meddling mothers ✅️
Spicy, but not extra hot ✅️

When Kate Callaghan writes a book and asks for ARC readers, I will say yes. This wasn't my first book... that one is a Christmas theme. Note: I loved it and pre-ordered a real book.

I am always a little wary about witches, werewolves, vampires, and slayers because it could get dark really quickly. This one could have, and a couple of times, I wondered if I was on the tipping point. Each time, though, I was brought back to the humor and hopefully happily ever after.

What I loved about this book: the quirky characters who definitely were living outside of a normal existence. The humor between the characters made the read more.

What I would have changed: the potential meddling mothers, who may have or may not have been in agreement to nudge their children into the forced interaction. Don't get me wrong, it made for some really humorous setups, and for one of them, I luckily had already swallowed my coffee, fortunately.

100% Read
100% Worth It

#booksbooksandmorebooks #bookreview #newbookreview #PotionsandProposals #katecallaghan #NetGalley

What I loved:
• Lucinda and Benedict’s evolving relationship kept me engaged. Character development of both these characters was nicely done.
• Vivid descriptions of Foxford painted quite a picture.
• I liked the unexpected romance angle.

What could’ve been better:
• I felt some plots were quite foreseeable.

Thanks to Netgalley the author and publisher for an eARC. Foxford is a small town that is a sanctuary for many from witches to vampires to werewolves. Lucinda’s mom is stepping down as high priestess of the coven and Lucinda is next in line but her ability to rule is called into question. Lucinda and Benedict have been rivals since childhood and their latest set of pranks have caused issues for the town. They agree to be bound together for the good of the town but have some time to figure out how to get out of it or if this is what they both want. Magical spells, switched elements, seeing childhood pranks in a different light are just some things that occur. Cute witchy romance with childhood rivals with fun banter! Really enjoyed this one and can’t wait to return to Foxford!

A cozy, witchy read set in a magical small town.

Lucy & Benedict had great chemistry and this was a super easy read. Enemies (but not like super enemies) to lovers. Despite being a bit quick from "enemies" to in love, it worked as a slow burn as they had been pranking each other for a while, so they did have chemistry, some tension even. Both characters balanced each other well, and their magical entanglement scenario was fun to see pkay out element wise.

Great side characters who didn't take away from the story, only push it forward- hopefully we see more in the next books as I'm looking forward to it.

Potion and Proposals is a quick and sweet romance fantasy about witches and other magical creatures. It’s a very romance driven story where the two main characters really shine among the magical small town backdrop. The vibes are Halloween perfect, but in a cozy way. The biggest problem was that many of the side characters' stories and personalities never got developed, and they were hardly part of the story.

4/5 (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

I enjoyed reading Potions & Proposals by Kate Callaghan (my first Advanced Reader’s Copy)! This book caught my eye because of the word “Potions” in the title (reminds me so much of my pharmacy classes were we mixed different ingredients to make a drug or product) and this being my first time reading paranormal romance. Also, there is a playlist the author created in the beginning of the book that puts you in the perfect fall/autumn mood while reading the book!

The story is about the enemies-to-lovers, Lucinda Hawthorne and Benedict Matherson, vying for a leadership position in their small town in which they soon realize they have liked each other all along. It was just too cute especially with all the tropes: arranged engagement, spell gone wrong (Freaky Friday magic swap), All Hallow’s Eve and more! If you enjoyed the shows Charmed and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, then you will have fun reading this book.

Thank you so much to the @netgalley, author and publisher for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
#PotionsandProposals #NetGalley

This was a fun read I wouldn't call it enemies to lovers but it did have the angst that they do have. It was a great contemporary fantasy romance and is definitely a different than most of my reads, but a great read nonetheless.