I was a little worried going into this because I did not connect with the first book and DNF’d it. Boy was I wrong to be worried. I immediately connected with Sirena and absolutely loved Gus. Watching Sirena learn to let go and seeing Gus realize the people around him truly do like him just as he is was both heartwarming and relatable.

It's the fall, which means it's time for me to find some cozy books to read with a cup of hot chocolate. Deja Brew definitely fits the bill.

Deja Brew is the final book in the Elemental Love trilogy. It follows Sirena, a kitchen witch who is having problems with her powers. Cooking has always been her safe place but recently it's the thing she dreads the most. When she asks to go back and redo the last month, she finds herself running into the town historian, Gus Dearworth. Gus is a magician from a family who shares their magic on television with millions. His family is trying to get him to come back for an upcoming tour, but Gus feels like he's finally found his real self in Freya Grove. As Gus and Sirena work together to help each other with their individual problems, they find themselves growing closer with each other.

Although this is the last book in a trilogy it can easily be ready by itself. Just know it is easier to read the other books in the series as there are many reoccurring characters that pop-up in this novel. The setting is primarily in October, but does go through the New Year. I absolutely loved Freya Grove and I'm sad to see the end of Martin's storytelling is this community. Deja Brew holds the same charm as her previous books. I feel like it's the perfect cozy fall book with a splash of magic. I didn't feel like it had quite as much magic present in the book as her previous novel, Kiss and Spell, but that's because of the love interests in this book. While Sirena does use her magic quite a bit, it isn't as in-your-face as the magic used by other characters in this series.

If you love Halloweentown, I think this series is perfect for you. Freya Grove reminds me so much of Halloweentown.

Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

I didn't want to say goodbye to this series!

I had so much fun reading this one and fell in love with these two. The set up of a groundshog day esque october was also an absolute blast.

For the last three years, Celestine Martin has been at the top of my spooky season reading list. From the moment I read Witchful Thinking, I knew she was going to be an auto-buy author. There is something so cozy, magical, and wonderful about her stories that keeps me coming back for more. And Deja Brew was no different.

Sirena and Gus were the relationship that never happened. They knew each other, sure, but their lives were so different and distant in their younger years that they never connected. Honestly, this is the only type of second-chance romance I enjoy and this one was lovely. Sirena is burnt out and on the edge, trying to keep it together. While Gus is burnt out on fun and just wants to settle into his quiet little life and not go back to show biz. But when Sirena asks for help at having fun, Gus can’t say no. Their lessons heat up quickly and become something more, something neither of them expected.

This book is full of cozy fall vibes, a small amount of family drama, girl friendships and family support. I love my annual trip to Freya Grove and I hope everyone takes the chance on the Caraways.

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

This book was a lot of fun to read. I enjoyed it so much!

Deja Brew by Celestine Martin is such a cute and cozy read, perfect for fall! I loved the festive October setting and the charming romance between Sirena and Gus. Both characters were wonderfully written, and the Black and plus-size representation added so much depth to the story, making it feel fresh and relatable.

While the magic system felt a bit unclear at times, and I wished Sirena’s connection to Gus as soulmates had been more consistent throughout, their chemistry still made for an enjoyable journey. Sirena’s hesitation in embracing their bond did make it harder to fully believe in their soulmate connection, but I appreciated the slow burn and the way it all came together by the end.

Overall, Deja Brew is a delightful fall romance with wonderful representation, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a light, magical escape!

Thank you to Forever & Hachette Audio for the review copy!

Series Info: I grabbed this as a “read now” from Netgalley and didn’t realize it was the 3rd book in a series. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the other two books first, but I tend to be a bit of a series purist. Deja Brew can be read as a standalone!

Review: If you are looking for something light, romantic, and a little magical, Deja Brew might be for you!
🧡 Black MCs
☕️ Plus sized FMC
🧡 witchy
☕️ time loop

There were parts of Deja Brew that I really loved. Gus was down bad for Sirena, which is always an element that works well for me. For me, there were a few pacing issues that kept me from absolutely loving the book as a whole. One area that I especially noticed this was that there was a little too much focus on the rest of the world for my taste. I wanted us to spend more time on the romantic relationship in the first half of the book. But if you like your romances to feel like a full world, where you get to know the main character’s family, friends, and backstory, you may really enjoy this element! I think since I read this as a standalone without reading previous books in the series, this element felt more flat to me.

Sirena really struggled to decide what she wanted in this book: her magic and cooking didn’t work well, she longed for love but was afraid to try and go for it, and I felt like I didn’t really understand her character because of this indecisiveness.

Overall, I did find Sirena and Gus to have good chemistry, and I was eager to see their HEA!

Such a cute witchy book for October! Though Deja Brew is a standalone, the entire Elemental Love series has been such a fun ride, and I absolutely adore the magical town of Freya Grove—wish I could visit!

In this book, we follow Sirena, a kitchen witch who used to be a celebrity chef. But lately, her cooking magic is on the fritz, and October is just not going her way. She makes a wish to fix everything that’s gone wrong, and the next morning, she wakes up to find herself reliving the month of October from the very beginning. With a second chance at the month, Sirena decides to have a bit more fun, and that’s when she bumps into Gus.

Gus is a magician and former reality TV star who's come to Freya Grove nursing a broken heart and trying to rebuild his reputation. Both Sirena and Gus are convinced that the last thing they need is a relationship, but their growing attraction is hard to deny. They strike a deal—Gus will help Sirena restore her magic, and Sirena will assist him in deciphering a magical cookbook from his collection at the historical society.

As the month of pumpkin spice and second chances winds down once again, they both must decide where their futures lie.

This feel-good contemporary witchy romcom is just perfect for the season. I’ve really enjoyed the whole series, and Celestine Martin’s books always deliver the right mix of magic and romance.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publishers, for providing me an ARC ebook of Deja Brew!

Deja Brew the third book in the Elemental Love Series by Celestine Martin ist the first bokk of hers that I have read and I enjoyed ,my reading - a lot, it's a pumpkin spice latte in a book it is very sweet, a bit spicy and topped with a stellar cream of fleshed out side characters.
Deja Brew follows Sirena Caraway, a kitchen witch who is strung out and doesn't trust her abilities any more. In this books she gets a magical second-chance at October and romance. After a disastrous October culminates in her embarrassing herself at the birthday party of charming magician Gus, she stumbles upon her Nana’s wish tea. And one impulsive wish later she is back at the beginning of October "Groundhog Day" Style with the chance to change things and explore possibilities. This gives Sirena the chance to ace a job interview, rediscover trust in herself and rekindle something special with Gus.
All the best ingredients for autumn reading in this one !

Ugh why is this cozy romance so GOOD?!! I absolutely adore this author and this series and I hope there is more in store…

A super cute, cozy, lovely book that hits all the fall and Halloween feels! Fall festivals, leaves changing, spooky spells, a cozy enchanted library…grab this book with a blanket and cup of tea!

Note - this book is part of a trilogy about the sisters, but you can read it as a standalone.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 but rounding up for the review!

Sirena Caraway finally gets her fairytale! I enjoyed this story. I liked how Sirena’s upbringing as a kitchen witch was weaved into the story and really affected how she viewed the world. I found her conflict to be interesting and relatable in a lot of ways. I didn’t care for Gus’ plight but he was a great guy and I loved how the story showed he could be “fun” in more than one way. This book was much spicier than the others. It kinda took away from the romance imo. It felt like they were connected through intimacy more than building a connection but they’re kindred so it made sense in hindsight. Although this is my least favorite of the three books, it’s still worth the read! The writing is good and flowery. The relationships between the Caraway cousins is so cute and necessary. Honestly, this book has made me want another to hear Callie’s stories so fingers crossed?

A perfect Autumn read. I loved the magic induced time loop of redoing the whole month of October. This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. Sirena is a kitchen witch lacking her normal spark. She enlists Gus Dearworth former magician to help her find her spark. She finds so much else. 🌶️😉

Many thanks to Forever Books for the complimentary review copy of this one!

Deja Brew Synopsis

Deja Brew follows ex-celebrity chef Sirena Caraway, a witch who has a terrible October. She's lost her kitchen magic spark and, as a result, also missed out on a major job opportunity. When a spell lets her relive the month, she's determined to get things right the second time around.

Enter Gus, former reality star and stage magician. He's living a quiet life running the historical society, and he's trying to avoid returning to the Good Time Gus persona he's outgrown. When he finds a magical cookbook, he asks for Sirena's help to decipher it... and spend a little more time with the beautiful kitchen witch in the process.

As Gus and Sirena get to know one another, things get complicated by feelings, and they're left trying to balance their goals with their passion.

What I Liked About Deja Brew

I love the idea of a family of witches with different skills and talents. Our main character being the only kitchen witch in the family makes for a point of tension at times.

The wish spell letting her repeat October is also a fun concept. I loved how she watched Groundhog Day to get a sense of how the time jump might work - great way of referencing the connection everyone is going to make anyway.

Even if I didn't fully understand the magic system in this book, it was used well to progress the plot and explain how characters related to one another.

Both of our romantic leads are working to find direction in their careers, balancing what makes them happy and fulfilled with the need to, you know, exist in capitalism. I liked that they had these goals on top of the whole falling in love aspect.

What I Didn't Like About Deja Brew

The pacing just didn't work for me. The first chapter is a whirlwind look at the first October Sirena lived through, and having it all described so quickly made it hard for me to connect with her character. Because so much of reliving the month is about doing things differently/better, I would've liked at least a full scene or two of the first time to really get grounded in what Sirena was feeling.

Similarly, the whole ex-celebrity chef/losing her confidence thing didn't feel fully explained. I kept waiting to really understand why she lost her confidence and kitchen magic mojo, but it never really came full circle. With the synopsis starting with her ex-celeb chef status, I guess I expected this to have at least some role in the book.

Sadly, the romance didn't really work for me either. It was a bit of insta-love with the whole kindred/soul mate concept, and as a slow burn fan, it just didn't quite do it for me.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Deja Brew is a cute small-town romance about two people trying to navigate life and love. The pacing and romance didn't quite connect with me as a reader, but I think that comes down to personal preferences more than anything.

If you want a spicy, magical romance to read this year, Deja Brew will most definitely deliver - with a good bit of heart, as well.

Deja Brew is a perfectly fun witchy read set in fall with just enough meat to the romance! I really enjoyed Sirena and how realistic and honest she felt. I think her story perfectly winded together with Gus's. I also love the female friendships in Celestine Martin's work!

Thank you so much to the publisher for granting me access!

Fast paced, magical and perfect for spooky season! I really enjoyed this magical love story full of surprises!

A fun witchy Black romance between two witches. Sirena is a kitchen witch and Gus is a famous magician. (yes, sleight of hand, and all that entails) In this book we are in a world that looks a lot like ours but everyone is magical. While I haven’t read the other books in this series, it wasn’t hard for me to jump into the world of Freya Grove and its magical inhabitants.

Both Gus and Sirena are adrift and struggling with things in their lives. Magic can’t fix everything but can their magic help them come together and rediscover their purpose? This does a nice spin on a time loop romance, insta-love and there’s just a great cast of characters. This is cozy, romantic, and a perfect fall read. Can’t wait to read more from Celestine Martin and go back to finish her series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an ARC of this title.

This is my third book I read by the author and it wont be the last. This is Aa cute and cozy conclusion to this witchy romance series! I loved the paranormal and time loop/soulmate aspect that was written. The main characters are both going through different things and fate brings them together. The MMC does not practice magic anymore but the fmc does. The romance is very cozy and there are some steamy moments in it

I read the first two books in this universe and was anxiously awaiting Sirena's story. Celestine did not disappoint!

The story was sweet and perfect for a Halloween/fall cozy read. The chemistry between Gus and Sirena was so palpable and made the story so enjoyable! I loved that the story was centred on making the most of a second chance and unlearning habits and notions we may have of ourselves that may cause us to be stuck. I also appreciated all the little nods to characters and the magic we'd been introduced to in the previous books as well as how Sirena's efforts to always take care of her family came full circle in the best way for her HEA.

Thanks so much to Forever for the complimentary copy and kudos to Celestine for writing another gem!

I’ve really enjoyed this series, and couldn’t wait to get my hands on Sirena’s story. This is a really cute, mostly low angst romance where both Gus and Sirena are on their own internal journeys and their relationship gives them the strength and courage to make forward strides towards their truth. I enjoyed Sirena figuring out that while she doesn’t want to lose or forget the lessons her Nana Ruth taught her about being a kitchen witch, she needs to discover her own rules in order to keep the spark alive in her cooking and magic. I also really enjoyed Gus figuring out how to balance the “Good Time Gus” persona he wants to leave in the past and the serious academic that isn’t a full portrayal of his self. In some ways the ending felt like the story could have kept going, but with the romance it did feel complete and satisfying. Lots of super romantic stuff, especially around magician’s Kindred element of world building.