This was my first read in this series and I want to go back to the others. A must read for anyone in need of a witchy escape.

Celestine Martin is swiftly becoming one of my favorite authors for cozy magical romance. The latest entry in the Elemental Love series is an adorable romp about second chances. August and Sirena were in a rut after having had one of the most trying months of their lives. One that went so poorly that kitchen witch Serena cast a second chance spell that allows her to start the month of October over from the beginning, its with this second chance that Sirena and Gus a magician whose lost his spark develop a friendship that swiftly turns to love. Before the two of them realize it that are on a journey together that enables them to correct the mistakes of their past and finding out who they truly want to be in this world.
I loved every moment of reading this novel both the main cast and the side character interact to create a strong and unique reading experience.

I absolutely love the Elemental Love series from Celestine Martin, so when book 3 was announced, I was so hopeful that we'd get Sirena's story! Deja Brew is a cozy, cute, witchy romance centering around a kitchen witch who, after making a wish for another shot at some missed opportunities, gets to redo the whole month of October. Throughout the month, Sirena begins to confront what she initially thought was a focus and priority in life versus the things that truly bring her joy. I loved Sirena and Gus as main characters and Celestine Martin absolutely knows how to write such relatable and lovable MCs.

If you haven't read any of these books yet, I highly recommend you check them out. While they can be read as standalones, there are references to previous books that contain spoilers, so I would suggest starting with the first book (Witchful Thinking).

Thank you so much to Forever and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Have you visited Celestine Martin’s Freya Grove, NJ yet? It’s a mystical, magical, slightly wacky place with not your ordinary run of the mill citizens. Well, I guess they’re ordinary if that’s where you live. Running into magicians, witches, gnomes, fairies, merman, and the like at the local coffee shop is par for the course in Freya Grove. The fact that Martin’s writing brings these characters to life in the most natural, normal way is part of the reason I so enjoy her books. She makes me believe this place exists, immerses me into the lives of her characters in such a way that I don’t have to suspend disbelief to actually believe.

Haven’t we all had moments in our lives when we wish we had a do-over? Sirena sure does and what she gets is a complete month to figure out how to get her life - and herself - together. Gus knows something feels off but can’t quite put his finger on what it is. What he knows for sure is that the entrance of Sirena into his life is pushing all his happy buttons and he wants more.

I love these two. Their chemistry is off the charts but it’s more than that. I love the respect they have for one another, the fact that they’ve both been betrayed (though in different ways), the care they show, the family dynamics both are dealing with, the fun they have together, and the deepening feelings for one another that everyone sees but them. I like the personal growth they both experience.

An important part of the story is the ever deepening sense of urgency that builds through the month, the tension of not knowing what the end of October will bring. Will Sirena get her kitchen witch skills back? Will she discover her path, the one that will bring her success but, more importantly, happiness and fulfillment? Will Gus finally come to terms with the baggage battering at his soul? With family expectations, his failed marriage, and the dueling parts of his personality? Can good-time magician Gus peacefully coexist with serious-minded historian Gus? So many questions. Martin takes her characters, and readers, on a deliciously delightful journey to the answers.

If you enjoy witchy romance (Halloween is just around the corner) with an opposites-attract trope, sizzling chemistry, Black love, big-girl body positivity, quirky characters, magical beings, complex family dynamics, humor, heart, and happy endings, give Deja Brew a try. I also recommend books one and two in the series: Witchful Thinking and Kiss and Spell.

4.5 stars

Another great adventure with my favorite New Jersey witches, but this time with magical snafus, a month of do-overs and unpredictable wishes.

This is the 3rd book in the freya grove series following the Caraway ladies and it met all my expectations. Cute af cinnamon roll MMC, magic, and time travel! What else could u want!

I love a seasonal read, and Deja Brew was a great choice for Halloween! It's got all the elements of an autumnal story: fall festivals, apple cider, and plenty of spice (pumpkin and bedroom). Add in Sirena the kitchen witch, August the magician, and a time loop! A great choice for someone wanting a little magical read before Halloween.

🍂🥺 This book was so cute 🥺🍂

Deja Brew is magical and witchy and full of love. I couldn't ask for a better fall read this October.

Sirena is a kitchen witch 👩‍🍳🧹 trying to rekindle her passion for cooking -as well as land a job at a high end restaurant. Gus is a magician who's over his family's reality tv show and touring, finding a passion instead at the Freya Grove Historical Society. 🏛️
Gus has maybe had too much fun.. whereas Sirena hasn't had enough. Time to make a deal 🤝✨ Gus is going to show Sirena how to have fun, and yes I'm wiggling my eyebrows! 👀

I love the way these characters show so much care for each other, and their friends and family. They are SO supportive of each others struggles and help each other work through it. 🥰

And the spice HITS. Oh man, I couldn't get enough. The way the recipe Sirena attempts actually puts a lusty spell on them 🥵 I would've been like Gus.. sitting on the floor eating the whole damn pot. LET'S GO.

I think the way @celestinemartinauthor infused this story with the worlds everyday magics was genius. I couldn't get enough of the magical-gilmore-girls-esc-town that is Freya Grove.

5 ⭐

3.75 - This is another cute, cozy and witchy fall read perfect for spooky season. I had no idea it was a series and I definitely would like to read the other books by this author! When a book takes place in October, while you’re reading it IN OCTOBER it just hits different! I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a “kitchen witch” before but I genuinely loved the concept. Some people are just magic in the kitchen and I feel like even though this is a “fantasy/paranormal-esque” book, it translates into the real world. Last year I was on the hunt for more witchy books and this one was exactly the type of story I was looking for. Plus, I got a steamy slow burn romance…. what more could you hope for during spooky season?!

What a great way to conclude the Caraway Sisters. This was such a cute, cozy friend featuring a which (of course) and a magician. I loved how Sirena wasn't completed sold on the soulmates element immediately. She needed to feel it for herself.

Such a great cozy, witchy romance! I love a good time loop story and this definitely hit all the right notes for me.

I didn't realize this was part of a series so I did feel a little lost at time and definitely would have benefited from some background information. I wanted to know more about the magical town etc. I also wanted a bit more...action? I got a little bored but overall this was an enjoyable read, with a sweet romance.

I LOVE anything Celestine Martin writes. They’re always my favorite October reads, I was really needing a good cozy read and this hit the spot for me. I loved Sirena and Gus so much. Typically, i’m fairly skeptical about time loop/groundhog day type books but i found myself really enjoying this.

Thank you to Forever & Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

For the first time in years, Sirena allowed herself to make a request from the universe. “I wish I had a second chance,” she said.

Sirena has had the worst October ever, she's lost one of her jobs and did horribly at an interview for a chef position she's been trying to get back into ever since she left her job to take care of her grandmother. When a special tea grants her wish for a second chance, Sirena finds herself living October all over again and this time, she's determined to change all those mishaps into successes. Deja Brew is third in a series, but I haven't read the first two and didn't have much of a problem jumping in here. It's set in Freya Grove, a magical realism world where every kind of supernatural is present. Sirena's a witch, specifically a kitchen witch, and has lost her ability to cook. She's currently living alone in her family home, her two sisters seem to have moved on in life while Sirena's stuck. This second chance at October has Sirena making changes, taking the opportunity to have fun and find her spark again.

These feelings he had for Sirena weren’t a simple crush, it was something more. Something exciting.

While Freya Grove is Sirena's hometown, Gus moved there a few years ago and while they've danced around in each other's orbit, they've never really got to know one another. On the night of Halloween, Sirena had a moment with Gus and when she gets her second chance, she remembers him. Gus moved to Freya Grove to slow down and recuperate, he was tired of being the “Good-time Gus” magician on his family's reality tv show and when he gets his heart broken on tv, his marriage of convenience started to feel real to him only to have his wife serve him divorce papers, he needs to reevaluate. He works at the historical society now and can't believe how much it suits him. While he's a little apprehensive when Sirena comes to him to teach her how to have a good time, he doesn't want to just be about fun anymore, but he can't escape the feeling of deja vu and finds himself wanting to be around her. They strike a deal that he'll help Sirena have fun and she'll help him decipher a cook/spell book the historical society was just donated.

“There are some things you don’t leave up to fate,” he said.

If you're looking for something that felt very low angst with Fall festive vibes, this would definitely be it. I really loved the beginning of this, with learning about Sirena and her world, then the anticipation of her and Gus getting to know one another in a Fall setting. While they do get some open bedroom scenes, this was still more along the lines of sedate, almost too low angst for me. I really liked the first half of this but the second half seemed to drag on too long, there just wasn't enough happening for me, Sirena drags her feet way too much and for way too long on finally acknowledging and accepting that her and Gus belong together. After I thought both sides accepted being together we got a, nope not yet, and the story dragged from October into November and December. I think readers of the series might enjoy where the story meander to more, as past characters feature more in these later chapters but I couldn't help just tapping my watch and wanting Sirena and Gus to wrap it up.

“My soul has found yours across lifetimes and oceans. We tempted fate, and we’ve played with fire. We are destined for each other.”

Wanting them to wrap it up doesn't mean I didn't enjoy them together, I liked how they both felt stuck in life and were trying to find who they wanted to be and find their place in the world but there just wasn't enough tension to keep me locked in, this should have been a shorter story. I enjoyed the fun the two got to have together, game playing, but I missed some delicious tension at the end. However, if you're looking for something more lowkey with Fall additives, pumpkin spice, apple cider, candy corn coffee(!?!), set in a magical world, and a sweet couple that clearly belong together, this would be a great seasonal pickup.

Out On: October 1, 2024

This was a perfectly festive fall read! If you like cozy witches, fall vibes, second chances and a good old fashioned time loop, then this is the book for you!

Unfortunately for me, I didn't realize that this was the third book in a interconnected standalone series so that was a bit of a bummer because now I've had the other two romances a tad bit spoiled due to reading this one first! Will I read the other ones now? Maybe, but who's to say?

I thought that Sirena and Gus had an interesting love story and it definitely kept me on my toes with where they were headed romantically vs. not romantically. I loved that they both were instilling faith/trust in their own abilities and identities throughout the book, we love healthy growth!

Overall, a very sweet book full of romance, family connection, personal growth and all things fall!

If you don't like to read spicy scenes in books (like myself) then I recommend you skip/skim the following chapters:

🌶️ Closed Door Modifications: Chapters 15, 18,19 & 29

Thank you so much to Forever Pub for this advanced copy on NetGalley! 🤍

Such a cute book I loved from beginning to end. Who would have thought by making one wish everything could change the love the magic everything superb. I want more. It was a book that you can definitely cuddle up with

Sirena Caraway and Gus Dearworth are having an identity crisis in Deja Brew by Celestine Martin.

Sirena is a former head chef and kitchen witch who is ruining any dish she makes. And she just fumbled her interview at running a new kitchen. Who knew eggs could explode!?

He’s known as “Good-Time Gus,” a former reality star and part of a famous magician family. Gus’ mom/agent is pushing for him to return to their act, but he’s happier running the Freya Grove Historical Society. Both are struggling to find out who they are without magic.

But then on Halloween night, Sirena drinks a cup of wish tea, and wakes up to October 1st again, getting a redo of the terrible month she had, and a second chance with Gus.

She wants him to teach her how to have fun, and he needs an expert to help him with magical culinary items at the society.
They’re work proximity associates who are secretly crushing on each other, and it’s not too long before magic gives them a shove to turn their slow burn into a flame.

This was so cute! I loved the small town quirks and fall festival vibes, and I need to find some local apple cider-flavored food because the descriptions sounded amazing. The story is perfect for spooky season with witches and chaotic gnomes, and it’s low angst. I’m looking forward to Celestine’s next series now that this one completes the Freya Grove trio!

- second chance
- friends to lovers
- small town
- moderate steam

This is a great cozy fall, witchy read! The self reflection and lessons experienced how our MC's was so relatable and so heartwarming. It's a fast paced, easy to get into read and definitely won't be the last book I read by Celestine Martin! Thank you so much Forever Publishing for my ARC <3

I think I would've loved this more if I hadn't already read other witchy Halloween rom-coms this year and if I'd read the previous two books in this series. That being said, this was very heartwarming and can be read as a standalone. I just like having context for background characters.

Sirena is a kitchen witch who's run into difficulty working her magic. She gets a chance at a do-over when she finds herself in a magical time-loop that allows her to repeat the month of October. Hoping to let loose and enjoy herself more than usual, she asks Gus to help her have fun. Gus is more than happy to do so as he has quite the crush on Sirena. This is a book about finding yourself and falling in love in the process.

I'm not really into magical realism books but this was a good read. I loved the Sirena and Gus and the way they were written. This book was a great way to end the series. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for allowing me to read this book!

Thank you to Forever Pub for providing an eARC copy of Deja Brew with me!

Unfortunately, this is a DNF for me. I think a major contributing factor is the fact that this is the third book in a series. With this being a magical realism story, I really think having read the other two would have allowed me to become more immersed in the world. However, this did not snag my attention, and I am incredibly sad about this! The premise seemed like the perfect fall read, but I had such a hard time connecting.

Thank you again to the publisher for providing the free ebook.